Closing summary
Justin Trudeau has said he will step down as Canada’s prime minister after his party has finds a new leader, a decision that in effect brings an end to nearly a decade in power.
Here’s a recap of today’s developments:
Trudeau said he will stay on as prime minister until a new leader of the ruling Liberal party is chosen through a “robust, nationwide” process.
Trudeau said Canadians “deserve a clear choice in the next election”, adding that party infighting had made it impossible for him to face off against his political rivals.
Parliament had been due to resume on 27 January and opposition parties had vowed to bring down the government as soon as they could. Trudeau has announced that parliament will be now prorogued until 24 March.
The Liberal party president, Sachit Mehra, said he will convene a meeting of the National Board this week to select a new leader of the party.
Trudeau’s announcement throws open the doors to a fierce political battle to be Canada’s next leader. Polls show the Liberals losing badly to the opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October.
Potential successors to Trudeau as the Liberal leader responded to his resignation. Mark Carney, previously head of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, thanked Trudeau for his leadership. Christy Clark, a former premier of British Columbia, also thanked him for his service.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the official opposition Conservative party, said “nothing has changed” following the announcement. In his resignation speech, Trudeau warned that Poilievre’s vision for Canada “is not the right one for Canadians.”
Other Canadian opposition party leaders also responded to the news. Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democratic party, said the Liberals “do not deserve another chance, no matter who is the leader.” Yves-François Blanche, leader of the Bloc Quebecois, called for a general election to be held as soon as possible.
US president-elect Donald Trump suggested Canada should become America’s “51st state”, writing on Truth Social that if Canada merged with the US that taxes would decrease and that there would be no tariffs. Canadian officials increasingly fear US tariffs will devastate the Canadian economy and a prorogued parliament is unlikely to ease these fears.
Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic party whose support helped to keep Justin Trudeau in office, has been speaking to reporters.
Trudeau and the Liberal party have “let down Canadians”, Singh said.
It doesn’t matter who the next Liberal leader is. They have let you down. They do not deserve another chance.
He added that “as soon as there is a confidence vote, we will be voting against the government.”
As we reported earlier, Singh has issued a statement urging voters to back his party and warning that Canadians will “pay the price of [Conservative leader Pierre] Poilievre’s cuts.”
The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, announced his resignation at a news conference at his temporary residence, Rideau Cottage, in Ottawa.
In his speech, he said a new prime minister and leader of the Liberals will carry the values and ideas of the party in the next elections.
Here’s a clip of Trudeau’s announcement:
Trump says Canada should become America's '51st state'
President-elect Donald Trump has reacted to Justin Trudeau’s announcement by suggesting that Canada should become the US’s “51st state”.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed Trudeau resigned because Canada relies on subsidies from the US to stay afloat. He wrote:
If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!
Justin Trudeau had no choice but to step aside, a political analyst told Associated Press.
“Most of his caucus wanted him gone,” said Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.
Trudeau’s resignation had an inevitability about it since the party lost byelections in Toronto and Montreal strongholds, beginning in the summer.
Process of selecting Trudeau's successor to begin this week
Sachit Mehra, the president of the Liberal party, said its national board will meet this week to begin the process of selecting a new party leader to succeed Justin Trudeau.
In a statement on X, Mehra said Liberals across the country are “immensely grateful” to Trudeau for more than a decade of leadership.
Trudeau “rebuilt our Party, making it the most open and inclusive moment in Canadian politics,” he wrote, adding:
We thank him for his service to Canada, and we look forward to his continued leadership until a new leader is chosen.
Yves-François Blanchet, the leader of the Bloc Québécois, has called for a general election to be held directly after the Liberals pick a successor to Justin Trudeau.
Blanchet, in a press conference after Trudeau’s announcement, said:
There is no viable reason for this government to stay in power any longer than the minimum necessary to designate a new leader. I don’t see any other scenarios.
He praised Trudeau for stepping down and said he hoped the prime minister will have “many years of happiness and serenity”.
Analysis: Trudeau promised ‘sunny ways’ but could not fulfil his lofty ambitions
He swept into parliament at the helm of surprise majority, promising change, hope and “sunny ways” as he charmed Canadians and much of the world with a brand that sought to embrace feminism, welcome refugees and reset Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples.
Nearly 10 years later, however, Justin Trudeau’s political career has come to a halt, with the 53-year-old on Monday announcing his decision to step down.
In the end, Trudeau’s boyish charisma was not enough to reassure Canadians facing enormous jumps in housing prices, rocketing groceries inflation and the prospect of huge tariffs imposed by the country’s main trading partner, the US.
The decision capped off a stunning, years-long turn of fortune for Trudeau, a former high school teacher and the eldest son of Pierre Trudeau, one of Canada’s best-known prime ministers. For months he had fended off calls to resign, insisting he would stay on even as a swelling chorus of his own party members urged him to go and after Chrystia Freeland, one of his most powerful and loyal ministers, delivered a scathing blow as she announced her own resignation.
The swirling questions over Trudeau’s resignation sharpened after Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic party (NDP), recently vowed to present a parliamentary motion to topple Trudeau’s government.
The long, drawn-out end was a sharp contrast to his meteoric rise; in 2015, after catapulting his party from third in the polls to a first-place finish, he became the country’s prime minister, making headlines around the world as he ushered in the country’s first gender-balanced cabinet with the pithy line: “Because it’s 2015.”
Chrystia Freeland, whose dramatic resignation as Justin Trudeau’s deputy prime minister and minister of finance last month thrust the party into tumult, has posted on X after Trudeau’s press conference. Freeland wrote:
I thank Justin Trudeau for his years of service to Canada and Canadians. I wish him and his family the very best.
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Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement, said Justin Trudeau will leave a “lasting positive legacy” for Canadians.
In a statement posted on X, Duclos thanked the prime minister for his service and for “everything he has done to improve the quality of life of Canadians and make our country a better place to live.”
He says under Trudeau’s leadership, Canada has “moved forward on reconciliation, fighting climate change, tackling the housing crisis and building a brighter future”.
Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic party, said Justin Trudeau has let Canadians down, “over and over”.
Trudeau “let you down on the cost of housing and groceries” and “on fixing health care,” Singh said in a statement posted on X.
It doesn’t matter who leads the Liberals. They don’t deserve another chance.
He says the Conservative party is “jumping at the opportunity to take from you and give more to CEOs”, adding that Canadians will “pay the price of [Conservative leader Pierre] Poilievre’s cuts.”
If you oppose callous Conservative cuts; if you oppose the rich getting richer while everyone else falls further behind – stand with the NDP this time.
You can have a government that works for you for a change.
Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre says 'nothing has changed'
Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative party, said “nothing has changed” after Justin Trudeau’s announcement that he plans to step down as leader of the Liberal party.
In a post on X, Poilievre wrote:
Every Liberal MP and Leadership contender supported EVERYTHING Trudeau did for 9 years, and now they want to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another 4 years, just like Justin.
He says the only way to “fix what Liberals broke” is a carbon tax election to elect Conservatives “who will bring home Canada’s promise”.
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Christy Clark, the former premier of British Columbia, has also issued a statement thanking Justin Trudeau for his service.
In a post on X, Clark wrote:
After a lifetime of public service Justin Trudeau has stepped aside as both Leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Canada. I want to thank him as a Canadian for his service to the country that he so clearly loves. I wish him and his family well.
As a lifelong Liberal I look forward to joining tens of thousands of Canadians to choose our next Leader. This is the biggest opportunity in over a decade that we’ve had to grow our Party and welcome new Liberals - including Canadians concerned about the future of our country - let’s seize it!
Clark, who served as premier from 2011-17, has previously suggested she would be interested in running for Liberal leader if Trudeau stepped down.
Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, has posted to X thanking Justin Trudeau for his leadership. He wrote:
Thank you Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for your leadership, for your many contributions to Canada, and for the sacrifices you and your family have made for public service.
Wishing you the best for your next chapters.
Carney is reportedly considering running in the Liberal party leadership race.
He served as the governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and the governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.
Asked why he is not calling an election, Trudeau says parliament has been “seized by obstruction, filibustering and a total lack of productivity” for the past several months.
“It’s time for a reset,” he says.
It’s time for the temperature to come down, for the people to have a fresh start in parliament, to be able to navigate through these complex times.
He says that reset comes in two parts – the first is the prorogation of parliament, the other is recognising that removing him as the Liberal leader should “decrease the level of polarisation” in the House and in Canadian politics.
Trudeau: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's vision 'not the right one for Canadians'
Trudeau says the Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, is not the right vision for Canadians.
“Stopping the fight against climate change doesn’t make sense,” he tells reporters, adding that “attacking journalists” is “not what Canadians need in this moment”. He says:
We need an ambitious, optimistic view of the future, and Pierre Poilievre is not offering that.
Trudeau says he looks forward to the fight as progressives “stand up” for a vision for a better country “despite the tremendous pressures around the world to think smaller”.
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Trudeau says that his former deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, had been at his side for nearly 10 years and has been an “incredible” political partner.
He says he had hoped that Freeland would have continued in her roles “but she chose otherwise”. Trudeau adds:
In regards to what actually happened, I am not someone who’s in the habit of sharing private conversations.
Freeland stepped down in December after clashing with Trudeau on issues including how to handle possible US tariffs.
Updated
Trudeau says he has one particular regret going into this next election, which is that he could have changed the way Canadians elect governments with the option of a second or third choice on the ballot.
Doing so would have meant that parties would have spent more time trying to be people’s second or third choices, he says:
People would have been looking for things they have in common, instead of trying to polarize and divide Canadians against each other.
Updated
Trudeau: Canadians deserve a real choice in next election
Trudeau says a new prime minister and leader of the Liberals will carry the values and ideas of the party in the next elections. He says he is looking forward to that process.
Asked why he decided to make the announcement today, he says he is “not someone who backs down very easily in a fight” but that he has “always been driven by my love for Canada”.
Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election, and it has become obvious to me with the internal battles that I cannot be the one to carry the liberal standard into the next election.
Trudeau to resign as prime minister after Liberal party selects new leader
Trudeau says he told his children last night of the decision that he is announcing today.
I intend to resign as party leader as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide competitive process.
He says he asked the president of the Liberal party to begin that process last night.
This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.
Updated
'I'm a fighter': Trudeau announces parliament to be prorogued until 24 March
Justin Trudeau has begun speaking at his press conference from Rideau Cottage.
He starts by saying that every morning that he has woken up as prime minister, he has been “inspired” by the “resilience, the generosity and the determination” of Canadians.
He says it has been the “driving force” behind why he has been fighting for this country since 2015. He says:
I’m a fighter, every bone in my body has always told me to fight, because I care deeply about Canadians.
Trudeau to hold news conference
Justin Trudeau is due to hold a press conference to begin shortly at 10.45am local time (1545 GMT).
The Canadian prime minister is expected to speak about his political future from Rideau Cottage, his temporary residence.
The press conference marks the first time that he will have answered questions from reporters since November.
Trudeau to seek prorogation of parliament until 24 March - reports
Justin Trudeau is expected to seek prorogation to end all House of Commons business, according to multiple Canadian outlets.
Trudeau met with Canada’s governor general earlier this morning and asked her to prorogue parliament, according to reports.
Prorogation of parliament would formally end the current session, delaying the returning of the House by several weeks and allowing the government to unveil a new plan for how it plans to run the country, according to Reuters. The news agency writes:
This would have the advantage of delaying any motion of no-confidence, but it could further anger Liberal legislators, especially if Trudeau were still prime minister.
Updated
Many Canadian observers now expect an election to be called for spring.
If he announces plans to resign, it is unclear whether Justin Trudeau would stay on as prime minister until a new Liberal leader is selected.
The Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, has repeated his calls for an immediate election, saying: “The government of Canada is itself spiralling out of control.”
On 23 December, dozens of MPs in Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party agreed that the embattled prime minister should step down after the catastrophic resignation of his deputy – a sign he had completely lost support from a group who had been crucial loyalists.
Several Canadian media outlets, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Toronto Star, reported that 51 of Ontario’s Liberal MPs met virtually and agreed collectively that Trudeau’s time in office has expired.
There are a total of 75 Liberal MPs in the province that is the country’s most populous and represents where most of the party’s support lies, indicating the core of the Liberals have abandoned Trudeau.
Justin Trudeau, 53, took office in November 2015 and has won re-election twice, becoming one of Canada’s longest-serving prime ministers.
However, his popularity began to decline two years ago amid public anger over high prices and a housing shortage, the Associated Press reports, and his fortunes never recovered. Polls show the Liberals will badly lose to the official opposition Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October 2025.
Liberal leadership races usually take months to arrange and even if the party speeds up the process, Trudeau will still not be leaving office any time soon.
This means he will be prime minister on 20 January when US president-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs that would cripple Canada’s economy.
Another worry for the Liberals is the threat by opposition parties to bring down the government. A no-confidence motion could be proposed as soon as the end of March, and if all parties vote in favour, an election will be triggered.
Trudeau had until recently been able to fend off Liberal legislators worried about the polls and the loss of safe seats in two special elections last year.
But calls for him to step aside have soared since last month, when he tried to demote finance minister Chrystia Freeland, one of his closest cabinet allies, after she pushed back against his proposals for more spending.
Freeland quit instead and penned a letter accusing Trudeau of “political gimmicks” rather than focusing on what was best for the country.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau expected to announce resignation
Justin Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation at a news conference at 10.45 am EST (15.45 GMT) on Monday, CBC News reported, after a snowballing leadership crisis that has caused the prime minister to lose support within his party.
The prime minister’s office said he would speak about his political future from Rideau Cottage, his temporary residence. The press conference marks the first time that he will have answered questions from reporters since November.
The Globe and Mail newspaper cited three sources as saying that Trudeau, 53, would quit as head of the ruling Liberal party after nearly a decade in office.
It said one of the sources had recently spoken to the prime minister and believed he intended to step down before an emergency meeting of party members on Wednesday, “so it doesn’t look like he was forced out by his own MPs”.
The Toronto Star said it had also confirmed that Trudeau was “expected to signal his intentions to step aside as early as Monday”, citing what it said was a senior source.
Trudeau’s popularity has plummeted amid record inflation, an acute housing crisis, high food prices and voter fatigue with incumbent politicians. Recent polling put the Liberals at 16% support, their worst pre-election standing in more than a century, with the opposition Conservatives coming out on top.
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