section_path: Prime Minister of Canada (2015–2025)/Resignation
section_name: Resignation
paragraph_text: Resignation
  
  Following the 2021 federal election, the Liberals faced declining poll numbers and disappointing results in by-elections, including losses in safe seats such as Toronto—St. Paul's in Toronto and LaSalle—Émard—Verdun in Montreal. The months following these losses saw frequent media stories about internal frustration and discontent with Trudeau's leadership. This appeared to culminate in a caucus meeting where multiple members called on Trudeau to resign. Trudeau emerged from this meeting stating that the party remained "strong and united".
  
  The closing months of 2024 saw a wave of resignations in Trudeau's cabinet. On September 19, Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez resigned to run for leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party. On November 20, Alberta MP Randy Boissonnault resigned following allegations that he ran a business seeking federal contracts and falsely claimed to be Indigenous. On December 15, Housing Minister Sean Fraser announced his intention to leave the federal cabinet in the next shuffle, citing family reasons.
  
  On December 16, 2024, Chrystia Freeland resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, hours before she was due to release the government's fall economic statement. Freeland was often nicknamed the "minister of everything", and widely seen as a potential successor to Trudeau for the leadership of the Liberal Party. In her resignation letter, Freeland reported Trudeau had asked her to resign as finance minister and that she would be offered another Cabinet position. She instead decided to resign altogether from his Cabinet, saying that "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."
  
  Freeland's resignation came amid threats from the incoming Trump administration to impose 25% tariffs upon Canada, as well as Freeland's reported opposition to Trudeau's promise of $250 cheques to working Canadians who earned $150,000 or less in 2023. The resignation raised speculation as to the future of Trudeau's leadership, with renewed calls for his resignation emerging from Liberal MPs. The government's economic statement, released later that day, showed a deficit of $61.9 billion for 2023–24, exceeding the previous target of $40.1 billion or less, and left Trump's tariff threats largely unaddressed.
  
  On January 6, 2025, citing that Canada " a real choice in the next election ", and that he was facing "internal battles" he felt would be a distraction, Trudeau announced during a news conference at Rideau Cottage that he would tender his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party, and as prime minister of Canada after the party elects his successor. He also announced that Governor General Mary Simon would prorogue Parliament until March 24, while the party organizes and holds its next leadership election. On January 15, Trudeau subsequently confirmed he would not seek re-election in his riding of Papineau. On March 9, the Liberal Party elected Mark Carney as the new leader, and the transition of power from Trudeau to Carney began the following day. On March 14, Trudeau formally notified the governor general of his resignation. Carney was sworn in as the 24th prime minister of Canada later that morning.