Canadian PM Justin Trudeau To Resign? Here's What We Know So Far

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation as Liberal Party leader on Monday, amid growing dissent within his caucus, The Globe And Mail reported, citing sources, ANI wrote.

Justin Trudeau To Reign? Details

The sources emphasised that the exact timing of Trudeau’s announcement remains uncertain. However, they anticipate it will occur before a crucial national caucus meeting on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

One source, who recently spoke with Trudeau, said the Prime Minister understands the importance of making an announcement ahead of the caucus meeting to avoid the belief that he was ousted by his MPs.
The sources also said there is no clarity on how the Liberal Party’s national executive plans to handle the leadership transition. It is uncertain whether Trudeau will step down immediately or continue serving as Prime Minister until a successor is chosen.

The Liberal Party national executive, which decides on leadership issues, plans to meet this week, likely after the caucus session, The Globe And Mail reported. Notably, Trudeau’s Liberal caucus will meet on Wednesday as MPs increasingly call for him to resign. MPs are due to return to Ottawa on January 27 and the three main opposition parties all say they plan to bring down the government at the first opportunity, according to a report by Radio Canada.

Justin Trudeau To Reign? Chrystia Freeland's Resignation

Canada has experienced political disturbances in recent months. Earlier on December 16, 2024, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced her resignation from the Cabinet.

In the letter addressed to Trudeau, Freeland said, “It has been the honour of my life to serve in government, working for Canada and Canadians. We have accomplished a lot together. On Friday, you told me you no longer want me to serve as your Finance Minister and offered me another position in the Cabinet.”, ANI reported.

“Upon reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the Cabinet. To be effective, a Minister must speak on behalf of the Prime Minister and with his full confidence. In making your decision, you made clear that I no longer credibly enjoy that confidence and possess the authority that comes with it. For the past number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” the letter added, ANI reported.

Following Freeland’s resignation, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had urged Trudeau “to resign” and stated that “all options” were on the table when asked whether he would back a non-confidence motion, Reuters reported.

Justin Trudeau To Reign? A Brief History

Trudeau took over charge in 2013 as Liberal leader when the party was in deep trouble and had been reduced to third place in the House of Commons for the first time. If he does resign, it would likely spur fresh calls for a quick election to put in place a stable government able to deal with the administration of President-elect Donald Trump for the next four years, Reuters reported.

Trudeau has discussed with Dominic LeBlanc the Finance Minister, whether he would be willing to step in as interim leader and prime minister, one source said. However, this will not work if LeBlanc plans to run for the leadership in the future.