Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce this morning that he’s stepping down as Liberal leader, sources tell CBC News.
Those sources, who spoke on the condition they not be named, said Trudeau will stay on until his successor is chosen.
Sources also said Trudeau has asked Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to prorogue Parliament until March 24.
The prime minister is expected to address Canadians at 10:45 a.m. ET from outside his home at Rideau Cottage.
He has been under mounting pressure to resign amid sinking public opinion polling, including from his own caucus.
At least two dozen individual MPs, several regional caucuses — including Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario — have called for him to step down since before the holiday break.
His political future was put into a tailspin when Chrystia Freeland, long seen as his top lieutenant, resigned as finance minister and deputy prime minister last month, the day she was scheduled to present the fall economic statement.
Conservatives threaten non-confidence motion
In a letter to Trudeau that was subsequently posted to social media, Freeland said she had no choice but to resign after Trudeau approached her about moving her to another cabinet role.
Freeland also took a jab at Trudeau’s handling of the economy, denouncing what she called the government’s “costly political gimmicks” and imploring him to work collaboratively with the country’s premiers to take on U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s tariffs threat.
She went on to write that she and Trudeau have been “at odds” in recent weeks about how to handle the incoming U.S. administration.
The Conservatives, which have been riding high in the polls for more than a year, have promised to move a motion of non-confidence in the Liberal government as soon as possible in the new year.
@CBC News, excluding headline
