Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not seek re-election as a member of Parliament in the upcoming federal election, ending a 17-year political career.
Trudeau announced he wouldn’t run for his sixth consecutive time at a press conference on Wednesday following the first minister’s meeting in Ottawa.
“In terms of my own decisions, I will not be running in the upcoming election,” said Trudeau. “I honestly haven’t had much time to think about that at all. I am entirely focused on doing the job that Canadians elected me to do in an extraordinarily pivotal time right now.”
Trudeau previously announced that he would resign as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and prime minister once his successor is chosen, which will occur by Mar. 9.
While Trudeau was clear when he announced his resignation that he wouldn’t be leading the Liberals into the next election, he had not indicated what his plans were for his own riding.
The party tightened its leadership election rules after Canadians exposed that the party was vulnerable to foreign interference because anyone—regardless of citizenship or residency status—was permitted to take out a membership, including international students.
Parliament is prorogued until Mar. 24, meaning Canada’s new prime minister will have two weeks to prepare for a potential non-confidence vote and ensuing election.
Trudeau was first elected as an MP in the Quebec riding of Papineau in 2008. He has held the riding ever since. The Bloc Québecois held the riding between 2006 and 2008 but Liberals have otherwise held the riding since 1953.
According to the poll aggregator 338Canada, the Liberals have a 79% chance of winning the riding based on odds from Jan. 12, 2025. The NDP have a 21% chance.
Trudeau will remain an MP after resigning as Liberal party leader and prime minister until an election is called, at which point the Liberals would have to nominate another candidate.
Trudeau announced his intention not to run for re-election during a meeting between all the premiers where they discussed how to best deal with President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith attended virtually and did not attend the closing press conference with the other premiers and Trudeau.
Smith previously delivered the most scathing rebuke to Trudeau’s resignation.
“It is one of the most irresponsible and selfish acts of a government in Canadian history,” she said.
The first ministers and Trudeau released a joint statement following the meeting.
“The Government of Alberta did not approve the joint statement between the Government of Canada and the Council of the Federation,” read the statement.
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