Trudeau says he's not the right choice to lead party in next election, promises to resign as PM
PM asked Governor General to prorogue Parliament until March 24
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he plans to step down once the Liberal Party has chosen a successor, bringing his time leading the country to a tumultuous end.
Trudeau, who became Liberal leader in 2013 and prime minister in the fall of 2015, announced his long-awaited decision outside his official residence, Rideau Cottage, on Monday morning following weeks of speculation and weakened support from his caucus.
The father of three said he reflected over the holidays and told his children that he intended to leave the country's top job over dinner Sunday night.
"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," a sometimes teary-eyed Trudeau told reporters.
Trudeau also announced that he met with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon on Monday morning and that she has agreed to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament until March 24.
Trudeau's decision will set off a competitive leadership race to replace him and find a contender to take on the Liberals' key rival, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, in the next federal election.
The 53-year-old prime minister said he's already asked the Liberal Party president to begin a "robust" and "nationwide" process to find the next leader.
"The Liberal Party of Canada is an important institution in the history of our great country and democracy. A new prime minister and leader of the Liberal party will carry its values and ideals into the next election," Trudeau said.
"I'm excited to see the process unfold in the months ahead."
Trudeau has been under mounting pressure to resign amid sinking public opinion polling, including from his own caucus.
At least two dozen individual MPs and several regional caucuses — including Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario — have called for him to step down since before the holiday break.
For the past year, Trudeau has maintained that he was the right man to take on Poilievre.
"I am a fighter, and I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly when a fight is as important as this one," Trudeau said Monday.
"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 addresses Freeland's departure
Trudeau's political future was put into a tailspin when Chrystia Freeland, long seen as his top lieutenant, resigned as finance minister and deputy prime minister last month, the day she was scheduled to present the fall economic statement.
In a letter to Trudeau that was subsequently posted to social media, Freeland said she had no choice but to resign after Trudeau approached her about moving to another cabinet role. It was later revealed she had been offered a position in charge of Canada-U.S. relations.
Freeland took a jab at Trudeau's handling of the economy, denouncing in the letter what she called the government's "costly political gimmicks." She went on to write that she and Trudeau had been "at odds" in recent weeks about how to handle the incoming U.S. administration.
Trudeau addressed Freeland's bombshell departure for the first time publicly Monday, albeit briefly.
He told reporters he had hoped she would have stayed on as deputy prime minister and take on "one of the most important files" the country is facing.
"But she chose otherwise," he said. "In regards to what actually happened, I am not someone who's in the habit of sharing private conversations."
In a social media post Monday, Freeland thanked Trudeau for his years of service.
"I wish him and his family the very best," she wrote.
Trudeau's planned resignation adds a new level of chaos to Canada's response to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's tariff threat. Trump will officially take office in exactly two weeks.
The incoming administration has threatened to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports, which Trump claimed was in response to concerns about border security, migrants and illegal drugs, especially fentanyl. Tariffs at that level could devastate Canada's economy.
Canada then announced more than $1 billion to bolster border security, but it's not yet clear whether that will sway Trump to drop the tariffs.
Trump responded to Monday's news suggesting Trudeau was stepping down because he knows the United States will not put up with trade deficits with Canada.
He also reiterated his line that Canadians would love to be the 51st state.
"If Canada merged with the U.S.," Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social, "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!!!"
Opposition vows to vote non-confidence ASAP
The decision to prorogue Parliament on Monday buys the Liberals some time to mount a leadership contest, but just barely.
The opposition parties have made it clear they plan to bring down the Liberal government as soon as possible.
Prorogation effectively allows the prime minister to hit pause on Parliament, which was set to resume Jan. 27. The government remains in power, but all parliamentary activity — from existing bills and committee work — comes to a halt.
"It's time for the temperature to come down, for people to have a fresh start in parliament to be able to navigate through these complex times domestically and internationally," Trudeau said.
"Removing me from the equation as the leader who will fight the next election for the Liberal party should also decrease the level of polarization we're seeing right now in the House and in Canadian politics."
Freeland's name has been floated as a possible candidate to take over the reigns of the Liberal Party. Other cabinet colleagues like Dominic LeBlanc, Mélanie Joly, Anita Anand and François-Philippe Champagne are also rumoured to be interested.
The names of former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney and former B.C. premier Christy Clark have also been circulating in political circles as potential challengers.
The Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls for more than a year, have been chomping at the bit for an election and have promised to move a motion of non-confidence in in the new year.
In a statement, Poilievre said Trudeau's decision "changes nothing" and suggested Liberal MPs who revolted are acting out of self interest.
"Their only objection is that he is no longer popular enough to win an election and keep them in power. They want to protect their pensions and paycheques by sweeping their hated leader under the rug months before an election to trick you, and then do it all over again," he wrote, while renewing calls for an immediate election.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who ended his party's agreement to keep the Liberal minority government afloat back in September, said New Democrats will vote to bring down the government at the earliest opportunity and suggested Canadians shouldn't support any Liberal leader.
"The problem is not just Justin Trudeau. It's every minister that's been calling the shots," he said in a statement on Monday.
"It's every Liberal MP that looked down their nose at Canadians who are worried about high costs or crumbling health care. The Liberals do not deserve another chance, no matter who is the leader."
Trudeau led country for nearly a decade
Trudeau, the son of another once popular prime minister, swept to power in 2015 pushing a feminist and environmental brand, while promising to mend the country's relationship with Indigenous communities and resettle tens of thousands of Syrian refugees.
His government legalized marijuana, reformed the Senate, brought in the Canada Child Benefit and has committed to bringing in $10-a-day child care.
Trudeau's progressive image quickly catapulted him to international fame — landing on the cover of Rolling Stone and in a profile in Vogue.
But within just a few years his reputation took a hit following a series of ethical controversies, from questionable vacations to the incendiary SNC-Lavalin affair and the WE Charity fiasco.
Trudeau's Liberals were re-elected in 2019 and 2021, although both times to minority governments.
His time in office intersected with major global news, including the election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the ensuing renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the pandemic.
In 2020 the Liberal government procured millions of vaccines to deal with the fast-spreading COVID-19 and chose to spend billions to help Canadians and businesses struggling during the crisis.
Trudeau became a lightning rod for public anger over pandemic lockdown measures, increased living costs and a mishmash of other grievances.
That anger reached a flash point in early 2022, when thousands of angry Canadians gridlocked downtown Ottawa for nearly a month and blocked border points elsewhere in the country.
Trudeau became the first prime minister in Canadian history to invoke the Emergencies Act to clear the streets — a decision that continues to be fought in court.
Ever since, a small, diehard cohort of anti-government protesters have shown up almost daily to picket Wellington Street, near Parliament Hill. On Monday, they were were heard playing Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead from loudspeakers.
- What questions do you have now that Trudeau plans to step down as prime minister and Liberal leader? Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.
While announcing his resignation, Trudeau reflected on his one regret in public office: killing electoral reform.
"I do wish that we'd been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could simply choose a second choice or a third choice on the same ballot," he said Monday.
"People would have been looking for things they have in common instead of trying to polarize and divide Canadians against each other. I think in this time, figuring out how to pull together and find common ground remains something that is really important for democracies."
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With files from David Cochrane
