Trudeau resignation: recap key moments, analysis, reaction as it happened

CTV National News: Trudeau steps down as leader Justin Trudeau is stepping down as Liberal leader and proroguing Parliament until March. Mike Le Couteur reports.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal party on Monday.

He will remain the prime minister until a new leader is chosen.

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Here’s a recap of key moments, analysis, and reaction as it happened:

7:05 p.m. EST: What’s to come?

With several weeks of major federal political headlines to come, this concludes our live blog coverage on Trudeau’s resignation.

With the Liberal Party of Canada now embarking on a national search for Trudeau’s successor, and just 77 days to find them before the next Speech from the Throne is expected, what transpires in the weeks ahead will be consequential. Among the storylines to keep an eye on in the days ahead, are what comes from this week’s meeting of the Liberal Party of Canada’s national board meeting in terms of timing for the leadership race, what MPs conclude in this Wednesday’s national emergency caucus meeting to discuss the rules and their role in the search, as well as which candidates may officially throw their hat into the ring to replace Trudeau.

5:30 p.m. House of Commons confirms prorogation

In a communique, the House of Commons confirms that a proclamation was issued Jan. 6, proroguing the first session of the 44th Parliament, “effective immediately.”

“The prorogation of a session brings an end to all proceedings before Parliament. In addition, all currently scheduled committee meetings will be cancelled. A new session of Parliament will begin on March 24, 2025,” the release states.

It notes that during prorogation, the Speaker, prime minister, minister, and parliamentary secretaries remain in their roles, and all MPs retain their full rights and privileges.

“All government bills that have not received royal assent prior to prorogation cease to exist; in order for government bills to be proceeded with in a new session, they must be reintroduced as new bills or they may be reinstated, if the House adopts a motion to this effect,” reads the memo.

The House rules, known as the Standing Orders, do allow for all private members’ business to be automatically restated in a new session.

Committee work, including the expected Tuesday meeting where the Conservatives were set to begin proceedings towards advancing a non-confidence motion in early January, has now ceased.

Work by MPs at committee though, can also be revived, depending on the study.

5:20 p.m. EST: Trudeau ‘was a curse’: Jordan Peterson

Controversial Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson – who recently left Canada and moved to the U.S. – appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored Monday where he said that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “was a curse.”

“My country is in worse shape by far than I’ve ever seen it in my entire life,” Peterson said, calling Trudeau’s resignation speech “an act.”

In terms of per capita GDP, he says over the course of nine years, the prime minister moved Canadians from parity with the U.S. to 60 per cent today.

“That’s 100 per cent attributable to Justin Trudeau and his nightmarish, woke, leftist, weak policies.”

3:50 p.m.: ‘This government needs a reset’: Lametti

Former justice minister David Lametti told CTV News’ Vassy Kapelos that Justin Trudeau’s resignation was a “bittersweet moment.”

Lametti recounted serving the prime minister for more than eight years and the achievements made by the progressive liberal government in that time, but still believes Trudeau’s resignation was necessary.

“I think Canadians were sending a clear message. I think my former constituents in LaSalle — Émard — Verdun… were sending a clear message to the government that they wanted a change, and I think the prime minister heard that.”

Regardless of the uncertainty and speculation of recent weeks, Lametti says it’s time to look ahead. “We have to move forward as a country”, he said. “This government needs a reset, that is clear.”

3:40 p.m. EST: Reaction from Trudeau’s riding

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had established a tradition in his Montreal riding of Papineau. He would greet public transit riders at a local metro station the morning after elections.

In the early years, he was greeted as a rock star, posing for countless selfies. Today, many in the riding said it was time for Trudeau to go.

Some had words of praise for Trudeau’s legacy and some of his policies. But the riding of Papineau includes an area which is one of the poorest in Canada, and some people said they had lost faith his policies would help with their economic woes and the housing crisis.

One man recounted Trudeau dropping by a local tavern to talk to sovereigntists in the early days of his political career, working to sway those who were suspicious of the Trudeau name.

They often brought up the policies of his father, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, during the October crisis and the War Measures Act.

3:20 p.m. EST: Trudeau’s ‘one regret’

During his resignation speech, Trudeau faced questions on his legacy. He was asked to reflect on any regrets he may have for his nine years in office.

“If I have one regret, particularly as we approach this election – well there are probably many regrets that I will think of – but I do wish that we had 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.”

“Parties would spend more time trying to be people’s second or third choices, and people would have been looking for things they have in common, instead of trying to polarize and divide Canadians against each other.”

Trudeau is describing a ranked ballot system – one possible option in the pursuit of electoral reform, which he campaigned on in 2015. When he won, he said it would be the last first-past-the-post election in Canada.

Two years later, the party scrapped the plan. In a 2017 mandate letter to then-democratic institutions minister Karina Gould, he made it explicit: “Changing the electoral system will not be in your mandate.”

3:15 p.m. EST: Joly thanks Trudeau

Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly thanked Justin Trudeau for his “leadership, determination and sacrifice,” she said in a post on X.

“Over the last ten years, the Prime Minister devoted himself to making this country a better place for all Canadians.”

Joly ended her post with well wishes for Trudeau and his family.

2:40 p.m. EST: Liberal president to call national board meeting this week

In a statement, President of the Liberal Party of Canada Sachit Mehra said he plans to call a national board meeting this week.

“Liberals across the country are immensely grateful to Justin Trudeau for more than a decade of leadership to our Party and the country,” Mehra said, crediting Trudeau with rebuilding the party and making it “the most open and inclusive movement in Canadian politics.”

“We look forward to his continued leadership until a new leader is chosen.”

2:30 p.m. EST: Trudeau ‘had to go’

CTV News’ Power Play host Vassy Kapelos asked Ontario MP Chandra Arya what he thinks of Justin Trudeau’s resignation.

“He has achieved a lot, but he had to go,” Arya said.

He goes on to add that he was a “big” supporter of Trudeau despite having policy-level differences with him for years, and until three weeks ago, he was still publicly defending him.

When asked what changed his position, Arya said when he realized the majority of the caucus lost confidence in Trudeau, “any leader can’t continue if the team isn’t behind him. So when I realized that, irrespective of what he has done or not done, when the majority of the team are saying the leader has to go, then I too have to stick with the team.”

1:10 p.m. EST: ‘Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State’: Trump

President-elect Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social.

“Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned,” he wrote.

Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the United States’ 51st state, and to Trudeau as its governor, since the Canadian delegation attended a meeting in Mar-a-lago at the end of November. At the time, Canadian officials chalked up Trump’s comments to teasing, though the president-elect has not let up.

“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!!!” wrote Trump.

12:25 p.m. EST: Chrystia Freeland thanks the PM

Chrystia Freeland, the former deputy prime minster and finance minister, wished Trudeau and his family well and thanked him for his “years of service” to the country in a brief post on X.

Freeland, who remains an MP, ignited a firestorm in December when she resigned from cabinet just hours before she was set to table an important update on the country’s finances.

In a letter published that morning, she cited political differences: “You and I have found ourselves at odds about the best path forward for Canada,” she wrote, addressing the prime minister.

Her resignation left the party scrambling to find a procedural path to table the Fall Economic Statement, which revealed a deficit nearly $22 billion above the guardrail Freeland put in place for her own government earlier last year.

She is also among the top contenders to assume Trudeau’s position at the head of the party.

12:10 p.m. EST: Singh responds

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh posted a written statement responding to Trudeau’s resignation.

“Justin Trudeau has let you down, over and over,” reads the brief statement published on X.

He accused the Liberals of contributing to the cost of housing, groceries and added they failed on “fixing health care.”

“They don’t deserve another chance,” the statement continues, before looking ahead to the upcoming election, expected to occur sometime this year. “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.”

11:55 a.m. EST: Poilievre responds

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre released a video statement lambasting the “leaderless Liberals” for Trudeau’s departure during an election year.

He accused the Liberal government of contributing to an “out-of-control housing emergency, an out-of-control migrant crisis,” and criticized its “$62-billion deficit” revealed in the Fall Economic Statement tabled in December.

“Their only objection is that he’s no longer popular enough to win an election and keep them in power,” he said.

He also re-emphasized his opposition to the federal carbon tax – a staple of the Liberal government’s strategy to fight climate change. Poilievre has made “axe the tax” a recurring party slogan.

During his resignation speech, Trudeau criticized Poilievre’s policy plans, accusing him of preparing to end his government’s climate endeavours.

“Stopping the fight against climate change doesn’t make sense,” he said.

11:30 a.m. EST: A means to end a ‘paralyzed’ Parliament

Trudeau said it’s “time for the temperature to come down” in Parliament, which he said has been “paralyzed” by “obstruction, and filibuster and a total lack of productivity.”

Trudeau is referring to, in part, a standstill in the House of Commons over a set of unredacted documents related to spending on green technology.

“We are, right now, the longest serving minority government in history,” he said, adding his move away from Liberal leadership will allow for a “fresh start.”

11:10 a.m. EST: Trudeau stepping down from party leadership

In an at-times teary address, Justin Trudeau said he will step down from the helm of the Liberal party.

“Last night, during dinner, I shared with my children the decision that I am sharing with you all today,” he said on the steps of his official residence.

“I cannot be the one to carry the Liberal standard into the next election.”

10:40 a.m. EST: Grey skies over Rideau Cottage

When Trudeau speaks, he will answer only two questions in English, and two questions in French.

More than two dozen national reporters are gathered at the steps outside the front door of his official residence, where he once held lengthy daily conferences during the peak of the pandemic.

10:30 a.m. EST: Liberal MP weighs in

Liberal MP Wayne Long — who penned an open letter to Trudeau late last month calling for his resignation — said in an interview with CTV News’ Colton Praill he’s not celebrating today’s news, but that it’s what he and other caucus members have been working toward.

Long also led the caucus charge for Trudeau to reconsider his leadership in October. He said Monday the group has continued to push for the long-time Liberal leader to step down.

He said it’s time for new leader with new ideas, and a fresh way of looking at things, specifically noting it may be time to reconsider the deeply unpopular carbon tax.

10:20 a.m. EST: PM didn’t have enough ‘truth tellers’

“He stayed too long and I don’t think he had enough truth tellers around him,” Graham Richardson, Managing Director Edelman Public Affairs, told CTV News Senior Political Correspondent Vassy Kapelos.

“It’s not 2015. It hasn’t been 2015 for a long time,” he said, referencing the election year Trudeau’s Liberals achieved a sweeping victory against Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.

Looking back at the near-decade since, he said the entire Liberal party ought to channel lyrics to the hit Talking Heads song “Psycho Killer.”

“My God,” said Richardson. “How did we get here?”

10:15 a.m. Trudeau has prorogued before

Requesting prorogation is presumably to give his party time to run an expedited leadership race without facing the prospect of falling on a confidence vote.

The House of Commons was scheduled to resume on Jan. 27, at which point the Conservatives were angling to advance a non-confidence motion within days, as the NDP indicated last month they were ready to vote to bring down the Liberal minority in the new year.

Prorogation, if approved, would end the current parliamentary session and kill all legislative business that hasn’t passed. This decision is believed to be connected to legal advice Trudeau’s advisers received around how long the government could go without approving spending.

This is not the first time Trudeau has taken the massive procedural step of seeking prorogation.

Trudeau did so for his first time in 2020, amid the WE Charity scandal and then-finance minister Bill Morneau’s departure, after vowing when first elected to not use “prorogation to avoid difficult political circumstances,” as the Liberals accused former prime minister Stephen Harper of doing.

9:35 a.m. EST: One notable thing to watch for in Trudeau’s announcement

Scott Reid, CTV News political commentator, told CTV News Channel that he thinks it’s notable Trudeau will be taking questions “because we’ve had such a long period of silence since Chrystia Freeland stepped down as finance minister and deputy prime minister.”

9:30 a.m. EST: All eyes on Rideau

A morning news release from the Press Gallery Secretariat advised journalists to be at 1 Sussex Drive in Ottawa by 10 a.m.

A senior government source told CTV News that Trudeau will then tell reporters he intends to stay on as prime minister until a new leader is selected.

The source also said that Trudeau met with the governor general this morning and asked to prorogue Parliament until March 24.

With files from CTV’s Rachel Aiello, Luca Caruso-Moro, Lynn Chaya, Spencer Van Dyk, Christl Dabu, Genevieve Beauchemin, and the Canadian Press.