
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will resign as Canada’s Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, once his successor has been named. The Prime Minister made the announcement from Rideau Cottage Monday morning (January 6) in Ottawa.
Trudeau said that with the internal battles within the party, he could not lead the party in the next election.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it’s become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” he said.
Since the resignation of Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in early-December 2024, multiple MPs within the Liberal caucus had called for Trudeau to step down.
Trudeau said during his announcement that he asked and received from Governor General Mary Simon permission to prorogue Parliament until March 24. MPs were set to return to Parliament Hill this week after the Christmas Break. Prorogation will reset the government’s Parliamentary agenda once the House resumes with a new speech from the throne.
Trudeau was elected leader of the then-third place Liberal Party in April 2013. He was elected Prime Minister on October 19, 2015, with a majority government. In 2019 and 2021, he was returned to office with minority governments. The Liberals have 153 seats in the House of Commons, the opposition Conservative Party of Canada holds 120 seats, the Bloc Québécois hold 35 seats, the NDP 25, and the Green Party two seats. There are four independent MPs in the house and one vacancy.
This term is the longest minority government in Canadian history. Until this fall, the Trudeau government was backed by the NDP through a Supply and Confidence agreement. The NDP withdrew from that agreement last Fall.