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Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation — Here’s what happens next

<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/canadian-prime-minister-justin-trudeau.jpg?id=55479616&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/><br/><br/><p><a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/justin-trudeau" target="_blank">Justin Trudeau</a> has resigned as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and Canadians have a lot of questions.</p><p><a href="https://www.narcity.com/justin-trudeau-resigns-canada-prime-minister" target="_blank">Trudeau announced his resignation</a> in a press conference outside Rideau Cottage on Monday morning, stating that "Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election."</p><p>Pressure on the Canadian PM to step down has been mounting recently, fuelled by political turmoil, dipping approval ratings and a growing cost-of-living crisis. <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-trudeau-expected-to-announce-resignation-before-national-caucus/" target="_blank">The Globe and Mail reported on Sunday</a> that sources said Trudeau would resign this week ahead of a caucus meeting on Wednesday.</p><p>But what does Trudeau's resignation mean for Canada And who will step up to lead the Liberals? Let's break it down.</p><h3>What happens after Trudeau resigns?</h3><br/><p>In his press conference on Monday, Trudeau said that he would step down as Liberal Party leader and prime minister "after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process."</p><p>"Last night, I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process," the PM confirmed</p><p>According to the <a href="https://www.liberal.ca/legacy-uploads/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/constitution-en.pdf" target="_blank">Liberal Party's constitution</a>, in the event of a leadership contest, the party's national executive must meet within 27 days to set the rules. This could delay picking a permanent leader for months, which would get complicated if there's a sudden election.</p><p>Trudeau also announced that the Governor General had granted his request to prorogue Parliament until March 24, to give his party time to hold a leadership contest.</p><h3>What is proroguing Parliament?</h3><br/><p>Proroguing Parliament is basically hitting the pause button on all legislative business in Canada. When Parliament is prorogued, everything comes to a halt — any bills that haven't been finalized are scrapped, committees stop meeting and no new debates or votes can happen.</p><p>Most importantly for the Liberals, though, the current government stays in power during this time — meaning the opposition can't call a non-confidence vote to trigger an election, giving the Liberals a bit of time to find Trudeau's replacement.</p><p>When asked why he made the decision to prorogue, Trudeau said that Parliament had been "entirely seized" by "a total lack of productivity over the past few months." </p><p>"It's time for a reset," he said. "It's time for the temperature to come down, for people to have a fresh start in Parliament to be able to navigate through these complex times, both domestically and internationally."</p><h3>Who could replace Trudeau?</h3><br/><p>While there's no official word on who's in the running yet, a few names are already being tossed around, including former central banker Mark Carney, who's seen as a heavy hitter thanks to his financial expertise.</p><p>Chrystia Freeland, the former finance minister and deputy prime minister who <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/chrystia-freeland-resigns-open-letter-justin-trudeau" target="_blank">resigned last month in an explosive open letter to Trudeau</a>, is also a top contender.</p><p>Then there's current Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, whom the Globe reports has already been in discussions with Trudeau about stepping in as interim leader.</p><p>Whoever gets the top job next, the stakes are high. The next leader won't just be inheriting Trudeau's role — they'll also be gearing up for a federal election in 2025.</p><h3>Why is Trudeau resigning?</h3><br/><p>It's been a tough few years for the prime minister. From internal party dissent to public backlash over inflation and housing affordability, Trudeau's popularity has taken a hit. High-profile exits, like Freeland's resignation last month, have only added fuel to the fire.</p><p>Even his relationship with the NDP, a key ally in his minority government, has soured. <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/jagmeet-singh-calls-for-justin-trudeau-resignation" target="_blank">NDP leader Jagmeet Singh</a> recently joined the growing list of politicians from all sides of the aisle calling for Trudeau's resignation and <a href="https://www.ndp.ca/news/jagmeet-singhs-letter-canadians" target="_blank">stated the party's intent to call a non-confidence vote</a> early this year.</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/" target="_blank">recent polls show</a> that under Trudeau, Liberal support has slipped to 20%, while the Conservatives are sitting comfortably at 44%.</p><p><em>This story was originally published on <a href="https://www.narcity.com/justin-trudeau-resignation-what-happens-next" target="_blank">Narcity</a>.</em><br/></p>