Clark publicly expressed interest in leading the federal Liberal party back in October but noted at the time the job was not open. Now, of course, it is.

Bob Mackin

Ending months of speculation as his party plummeted in public opinion polls, Justin Trudeau announced in a hastily called news conference on Jan. 6 that he would prorogue Parliament until March 24 and step down as Prime Minister of Canada once a new Liberal Party leader is chosen.

It was not as surprising nor as dramatic as Feb. 29, 1984, when father Pierre Trudeau famously announced his resignation as 15th Prime Minister after a walk in the snow.

The Jan. 6 announcement came, coincidentally, the same day that the U.S. Congress certified Donald Trump’s presidential win. Trump, who threatened tariffs on Canadian goods entering the U.S., will return to power in the Oval Office on Jan. 20.

Below is a transcript of what Trudeau said during the news conference, Canada’s first major news milestone of 2025.

Justin Trudeau statement:

Every morning I’ve woken up as Prime Minister, I’ve been inspired by the resilience, the generosity and the determination of Canadians, it is the driving force of every single day I have the privilege of serving in this office. That is why, since 2015 I have fought for this country, for you to strengthen and grow the middle class. Why we rallied to support each other through the pandemic, to advance reconciliation, to defend free trade on this continent, to stand strong with Ukraine and our democracy and to fight climate change and get our economy ready for the future. We are at a critical moment in the world.

My friends, as you all know, I’m a fighter. Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians. I care deeply about this country, and I will always be motivated by what is in the best interest of Canadians. And the fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority Parliament in Canadian history. That’s why this morning, I advise the Governor General that we need a new session of parliament. She has granted this request, and the House will now be prorogued until March 24.

Justin Trudeau on Jan. 6, 2025 (CPAC/YouTube)

Over the holidays, I’ve also had a chance to reflect, and have had long talks with my family about our future throughout the course of my career, any success I have personally achieved has been because of their support and with their encouragement. So last night, over dinner, I told my kids about the decision that I’m sharing with you today, I intend to resign as party leader as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process. 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.

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 that next election, I’m excited to see the process unfold in the months ahead. We were elected for the third time in 2021 to strengthen the economy post pandemic and advance Canada’s interests in a complicated world, and that is exactly the job that I and we will continue to do for Canadians. Merci beaucoup.

Reporter (translated from French):

You wanted to have an election with Pierre Poilievre as your opponent. There have been internal battles for a while. Why are you giving up now? What made you change your mind?

Justin Trudeau:

As you all know, I am a fighter, and I am not someone who backs away from a fight, particularly in a fight is as important as this one is, but I have always been driven by my love for Canada, by my desire to serve Canadians and by what is in the best interests of Canadians, and Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election, and 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.

Reporter (translated from French):

You’ve been in power for nearly 10 years, Canada has changed with your government. If there’s one accomplishment that you’re most proud of, I know there are several, but perhaps the thing you are most proud of. And maybe one regret?

Justin Trudeau:

We got elected in 2015 to fight for the middle class, and that’s exactly what we’ve done over the past years. We’ve reduced their taxes, we increased the benefits to families, we made sure the economy was focused on working for everyone, and not just a few. And that has changed. That has dropped poverty rates in Canada that has brought more people into the workforce, that has moved us forward on reconciliation, in a way that has deeply improved the opportunities and success of Canadians despite the incredibly difficult times the world is going through Right now, there’s lots more work to be done, and I know that this party and this country and Canadians will keep doing it. 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’ve 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, so that 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, I think in this time, figuring out how to pull together and find common ground remains something that is really important for democracies, but I could not change unilaterally without support of other parties our electoral system that wouldn’t have been responsible

Reporter:

Prime Minister, up until three weeks ago, you were intending to stay. And it seems that the event three weeks ago of Ms. Freeland coming out and saying you were firing her as your finance minister was the catalyst that brought us here today. So can you explain your side of what happened there?

Justin Trudeau:

Chrystia has been by my side for close to 10 years now. She has been an incredible political party. Partner through just about everything we have done as a government and as a party over the past decade, I had really hoped that she would agree to continue as my deputy prime minister and take on one of the most important files that not just this government but this country is facing, but she chose otherwise in regards to what actually happened. I am not someone who’s in the habit of sharing private conversations.

Reporter:

You spoke about the Liberal Party as an institution and the internal battles right now, but I’m wondering if you feel that another leader will have more success than you will at beating Pierre Poilievre in the next campaign.

Justin Trudeau:

Pierre Poilievre’s vision for this country is not the right one for Canadians. Stopping the fight against climate change doesn’t make sense, backing off on the values and strength and diversity that Canada has always, 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. 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 higher right and to be less ambitious for what we can be and do as a country When the world really needs Canada.

Reporter:

That’s not an answer, though, yes or no. Is there another leader that could beat him?

Justin Trudeau:

Absolutely.

Reporter (translated from French):

In December, 2008 Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament to avoid a vote of non-confidence that he knew that he would lose because the three opposition parties would vote against him. It’s the exact same situation that you find yourself in today, Stephen Dion at the time, had said, and I quote, that this was an affront to democracy. I’d like to know why what was bad for Conservatives of Stephen Harper should be good for the Liberals of Justin Trudeau?

Justin Trudeau:

In 2008, the Governor General correctly concluded that because the very last times in the previous weeks that the confidence of the house had been tested, it had passed that confidence test, Stephen Harper continued to have the confidence of the house, and it actually would bear out, because as soon as they came back from the prorogation, Stephen Harper won a confidence vote once again. So a political document or political speeches doesn’t carry the kind of weight that winning a confidence vote means, but this prorogation will take us only into March, and there will be confidence votes in March, in the passing of supply that will allow parliament to weigh in on confidence in a way that is entirely In keeping with all the principles of democracy and the workings of our strong institutions.

The Parliamentary Press Gallery and 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 over the past few months. We are right now the longest serving minority government in history, and it’s time for a reset. 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. 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 work the way Canadians deserve.

Reporter:

As you just said, there’s going to be confidence votes in March, opposition parties have said they are prepared to bring down your government. What kind of chances do you think you are leaving to your successor, given that there will only be mere weeks for them to introduce themselves to Canadians before heading into an election,

Justin Trudeau:

I have a tremendous amount of confidence in both Canadians and in parliamentarians interest in serving Canadians in the right way. There, we’re in a minority government right now, and there hasn’t been an active leadership in a minority government in more than 50 years in this country, and there is always going to be the challenge a leadership race, while a Parliament would face confidence votes in in in the course of delivering supply to the government. 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 from right across the country and makes a determination about the best person to carry the progressive Liberal standard into the next election.

Reporter:

Can you clarify whether ministers who would like to campaign for your job will have to step out of cabinet, and how can the Liberal government be in a position to protect Canadian businesses and Canadians from the threat of tariffs from incoming President Donald Trump, when members of the government are going to be focused on who is going to be taking your job?

Justin Trudeau:

The government will still, and the Cabinet will still be very much focused on doing the job that Canadians elected us to do in 2021 which is fight for their interests, stand up for their well being and make sure that they are good and that Canadians are protected and strong. There will be a leadership process and the rules will unfold over the coming weeks, but I can assure you that the tools and the need to stand up for Canadians, to protect Canadians in their interests, and continue to fight for the economy. Is something that everyone in this government will be singularly focused on.

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