Prime Minister Trudeau Announces Resignation and Prorogation of Parliament 

Speaking from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa this morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced to the nation that after nine years as Prime Minister of Canada, and 12 years as Leader of the Liberal Party, he will be stepping down from the role once a leader has been chosen to succeed him. In order to give the Liberal Party time to hold its leadership contest and to break Parliamentary deadlock, Trudeau sought and received from the Governor General, Her Excellency The Rt. Hon. Mary Simon, permission to prorogue Parliament from its original slated return date of January 27th to March 24th 2025.

Trudeau’s announcement came on the heels of months of speculation about his future amid internal divisions within his caucus and a year and a half of polls indicating the Party is likely to lose the next Federal election to the Official Opposition Conservative Party and its leader Pierre Poilievre on issues such as housing and affordability.

A major figure in the history of the Liberal Party, Trudeau was first elected to Parliament in October 2008 and became leader in 2013 during the Party’s lowest period. At the time, it held only 34 seats across the country and was for the first time since Confederation the Third Party in the House of Commons behind the Official Opposition New Democrats and Governing Conservative Party of Stephen Harper. Trudeau led the Liberals to 184 seats and a majority government in the 2015 election ending nine years of Conservative governance amidst promises of “Hope and Hard Work” and promises of new approaches on environmental policy, engagement with first nations, and supporting the middle class.

Trudeau led the party to minority governments in the subsequent 2019 and 2021 elections while overseeing a difficult renegotiation of NAFTA with American President Donald Trump and managing Canada’s response to the pandemic. A Supply and Confidence Agreement with the fourth-placed NDP struck in March 2022 allowed Trudeau to remain in power through what has become the longest minority parliament in Canadian history. However, a breakdown of the agreement in September 2024, following a series of losses in by-elections of long-held seats, and mounting internal pressure from his caucus signalled the beginning of the end for Trudeau’s run as Prime Minister.  

In his speech, Trudeau cited that he had long considered himself “as a fighter” for Canadians but concluded that “[he] cannot be the best choice in the next election” and cited the internal battles the Party has experienced in recent months as a reason he was choosing now to step down.

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