Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resigned as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in a statement made at Rideau Cottage on Monday morning.
Trudeau will stay on as Canada’s prime minister until the Liberals appoint a new leader.
“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process,” said Trudeau. “Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process. This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I am having to fight internal battles I cannot be the best option in that election.”
Trudeau has faced increased scrutiny ever since former finance minister Chrystia Freeland resigned in December, as she wrote a letter calling out Trudeau’s “political gimmicks” in the face of Donald Trump’s tariff threats. Calls for Trudeau to resign have grown among MPs of all parties, including the Liberals.
The prime minister’s resignation comes at a bad time for the Liberals, with polls showing that the party would lose to Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives. The next federal election must take place on or before Oct. 20, 2025.
For updates, analysis, reaction and press conferences, follow along with Yahoo News Canada’s live blog.
Live8 updates
- Mon, January 6, 2025 at 10:36 p.m. IST
Watch: Trudeau resigns as Liberal leader, announces plan to eventually step down as PM
With all eyes on Justin Trudeau, the prime minister stepped out at his residence, Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, to announce his decision to step down as the Liberal leader.
- Mon, January 6, 2025 at 10:33 p.m. IST
Trudeau believes that stepping down will help Liberals in a federal election
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves a news conference after announcing his resignation as Liberal leader outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday, Jan.6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
When Parliament resumes March 24, it’s expected that calls for a non-confidence vote will continue.
If that vote takes place and the government fails, then an election will be triggered. This will put the new Liberal leader front and centre in the race against the Conservatives and Pierre Poilievre, who are favoured to win the election according to polls.
Trudeau believes that stepping down gives his party a better chance.
“There is always going to be the challenge of having a leadership race while a Parliament would face confidence votes in the course of delivering supply to the government,” Trudeau said.
“So this is something that we’re going to navigate through. But I truly feel that removing the contention around my own continued leadership is an opportunity to bring the temperature down, have a government that will focus on the complex issues that are coming forward in the coming months, while the party gets to have a full national process that brings in people from right across the country and makes a determination about the best person to carry the progressive, Liberal standard into the next election.”
- Mon, January 6, 2025 at 10:12 p.m. IST
Trudeau defends decision to prorogue Parliament, instead of allowing non-confidence vote to pass
With Trudeau’s granted request to prorogue Parliament, it stops MPs from being able to pass a non-confidence vote, which would trigger a federal election. The Conservatives have tabled many motions seeking a non-confidence vote against Trudeau and the Liberals since fall 2024.
Following Freeland’s resignation, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP said they would join the Conservatives in passing a non-confidence vote.
On Monday, Trudeau defended his decision to prorogue Parliament, saying that it’s “time for a reset.”
“Anyone who’s been watching politics closely over the past months will know that Parliament has been entirely seized by obstruction and filibustering and a total lack of productivity.
“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, both domestically and internationally. And the reset that we have is actually two parts. One is the prorogation, but the other part is recognizing that 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 that we’re seeing right now in the House and in Canadian politics, and allow people to actually focus on serving Canadians in this House and with their work the way Canadians deserve.”
- Mon, January 6, 2025 at 9:57 p.m. IST
Trudeau slams Pierre Poilievre, believes Liberals can still beat the Conservatives
Polls indicate that the Conservatives would win in a federal election if it were held today. (Photo by Dave Chan / AFP) (Photo by DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Trudeau “absolutely” believes that there is another Liberal leader who can defeat Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in an upcoming federal election.
Before giving his answer, the PM took time to remind Canadians of who he believes Poilievre truly is.
“Poilievre’s vision for this country is not the right one for Canadians,” Trudeau said.
“Stopping the fight against climate change doesn’t make sense. Backing off on the values and strength and diversity that Canada has always worked to pull itself together on, is not the right path for the country. Attacking journalists, the CBC institutions, that’s not what Canadians need in this moment.
“We need an ambitious, optimistic view of the future, and Pierre Poilievre is not offering that, and I look forward to the fight as progressives across this country stand up for the kind of vision for a better country that Canadians have always carried despite the tremendous pressures around the world to think smaller, to veer towards the far right and to be less ambitious for what we can be and do as a country when the world really needs Canada.”
- Mon, January 6, 2025 at 9:44 p.m. IST
Parliament to be prorogued until March 24
Justin Trudeau has requested that Parliament be prorogued, which Governor General Mary Simon has granted until March 24.
“Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority Parliament in Canadian history,” Trudeau said at his press conference on Monday.
- Mon, January 6, 2025 at 9:37 p.m. IST
Breaking: Justin Trudeau announces resignation as Liberal leader
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces his resignation as Liberal leader and prime minister outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa on Monday, Jan.6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Justin Trudeau says he will step down as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada after a new leader has been selected.
He made the statement Monday morning at Rideau Cottage.
- Mon, January 6, 2025 at 9:10 p.m. IST
If Trudeau resigns as Liberal leader what happens?
It remains unclear if Justin Trudeau will stay on as prime minister, even after stepping down as the Liberal leader. He could wait until a new party leader is selected.
According to The Globe, the Liberal Party national executive plans to meet next week, likely after Wednesday’s national caucus session, where they will make their leadership decision.
The Liberals can either appoint an interim leader or hold a shortened leadership contest. In the event that they choose the latter, it wold require the Governor-General Mary Simon to prorogue Parliament, which isn’t a guarantee.
- Mon, January 6, 2025 at 8:20 p.m. IST
Justin Trudeau to speak at Rideau Cottage on Monday morning, expected to resign
The prime minister will hold an announcement at 10:45 a.m. ET at Rideau Cottage on Monday morning.
CBC and the Toronto Star are reporting that Justin Trudeau will use this opportunity to formally announce his resignation.
Yahoo News Canada will have the live feed as part of this article, so be sure to check back in.
Justin Trudeau will make an announcement at 10:45am this morning at his residence at Rideau Cottage, the press gallery was just told
— Brian Platt (@btaplatt) January 6, 2025