Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's a fighter, and that every bone in his body tells him to fight.

He says parliament has been "paralysed for months" - after what he calls the longest session of a minority parliament in Canadian history.

Trudeau goes on to say that's why the country needs a new session of parliament, and the house will be prorogued until 24 March.

Image source, CPAC

Justin Trudeau says "this country deserves a real choice" at the next election, after announcing his resignation as prime minister.

Trudeau says it has become clear, if he has to fight "internal battles" that he cannot be the best option on the ballot for Canadians.

Trudeau says he made his decision to resign after having long conversation with his family - he says his success was due to their support. He told his kids about his decision to resign at dinner last night.

Trudeau says he intends to resign as party leader and as prime minister after the party selects its next leader.

Trudeau starts by saying that every morning he has woken up as prime minister, he has been inspired by the resilience and generosity of Canadians.

He says that since he became prime minister in 2015, he has fought for Canada and its people, to strengthen and grow the middle class, and says he watched the country rally to support each other during the pandemic, and has worked to protect free trade on the continent.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's news conference has just begun.

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Image source, CPAC

We're due to hear from Trudeau shortly.

We can bring you an image from outside his residence at Rideau Cottage, in Ottawa, where a lectern is in place ready for his news conference.

As a reminder, you can follow along by pressing the watch live button at the top of the page.

Image source, Reuters

It was not long after Justin Trudeau was successfully elected as MP in Papineau in 2008 that he was asked about his future leadership ambitions.

"I just got hired to do a job," Trudeau told CBC the morning after that election.

As the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, many had already predicted the younger Trudeau's entry onto the political stage.

It was just a few years later, after he was elected leader of the Liberal Party in 2013, that he was successful in turning his party's fortunes around by securing a historic victory in 2015, becoming prime minister at the age of 44.

Although Trudeau managed to lead the party through two subsequent elections, making him the longest-serving leader of his G7 peers, his time in office has been bumpy.

He was involved in a number of political scandals during his tenure, including when images from previous years surfaced of him wearing so-called brownface makeup on at least three occasions, and an ethics scandal in 2020 involving a potentially large government contract for a charity that had worked with Trudeau family members.

Throughout the years the Canadian PM has also seen his popularity plummet, both within the general public and his own party.

Jessica Murphy
Reporting from Toronto

The political instability in Canada comes as the country faces a number of challenges - not least the economic threat launched by the incoming US President Donald Trump, who takes office on 20 January.

Trump has vowed to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods if the country does not secure its shared border to the flow of irregular migrants and illegal drugs - a levy economists warn could be devastating to Canada.

The "grave challenge" this posed was referred to in the resignation letter of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who quit suddenly in mid-December, saying she was not sure if Trudeau took the threat seriously enough.

CBC and CTV News are reporting that Trudeau met Canada's governor general this morning and asked her to prorogue parliament - essentially a suspension that would stop all proceedings, including debates and votes, without dissolving parliament - until 24 March.

This move would give the party time to find a new leader.

While a routine part of parliamentary procedure, it is sometimes used by governments to buy time during a political crisis.

Canada's parliament is currently on holiday break until 27 January.

Image source, Getty Images

With speculation circulating for months that Trudeau may resign, a list of those who could succeed him has already emerged:

• Former Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland has long been considered as a possible successor to Trudeau. She is a Toronto MP who is originally from the western Canadian province of Alberta, and who worked as a journalist before entering politics. Freeland served as Canada’s first female finance minister before she abruptly resigned in December over a rift between her and Trudeau on spending and how to deal with the threat of incoming tariffs from US President-Elect Donald Trump

• Former central banker Mark Carney was previously head of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England. He is a card-carrying Liberal who has been serving in recent months as a special adviser to Trudeau, and is said to have been vying for the party’s leadership job for some time

• Mélanie Joly, the minister of foreign affairs, is a Quebec politician who, like Trudeau, represents a Montreal-area district. An Oxford-educated lawyer, Joly is a familiar face to many having represented Canada on the world stage since 2021. She had been tapped by Trudeau directly to run for federal politics

• Dominic Leblanc, minister of finance and intergovernmental affairs is a long-time friend of Trudeau’s and one of his closest allies, who has been trusted to step into portfolios in political difficulty or disarray. He has been a parliamentarian for more than two decades, and had previously shown ambitions to lead the Liberal Party, running a campaign in 2008 but losing to Michael Ignatieff

• Christy Clark, former premier of British Columbia, had moved away from the federal political scene but has expressed in recent months her interest in throwing her hat into the Liberal leadership ring

According to reports in Canada, Justin Trudeau may choose to stay on as prime minister until the Liberal Party chooses a new leader.

Under the party's constitution, the leader can tender his or her resignation at any time, triggering a leadership contest.

That process typically takes a few months. It is unclear if members of the Liberal Party will try to speed-up that process, as 2025 is an election year for Canada.

The next election has to be held on or before 20 October. A snap election could be triggered should Trudeau call for one - or if parliament passes a no-confidence measure to topple his government.

A senior government source in Canada says it's a "done deal" that Trudeau will leave his post and "it's now just about how", the AFP news agency reports.

As a reminder, Trudeau is holding a news conference in the next hour.

The source did not immediately indicate whether Trudeau would resign as Liberal Party leader and stay on as a caretaker prime minister, according to the news agency.

As we reported earlier, Canada's public broadcaster is reporting that Trudeau intends to continue his PM duties until his successor is chosen.

Trudeau's plummeting popularitypublished at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 6 January

14:45 GMT 6 January

Nadine Yousif
Reporting from Toronto

Image source, Reuters

Justin Trudeau’s apparent decision to step down - which is yet to be confirmed - marks an end to weeks of speculation on his political future, as his popularity among his peers and the public has plummeted.

Trudeau, who has been prime minister for nine years, had been under pressure from members of his own party to resign since the summer, after the Liberals suffered a historic defeat in a Toronto by-election to their Conservative rivals.

He has also been lagging in the polls. As of December, only 22% of Canadians said they approved of his leadership, external - the lowest since he has taken power in 2015.

Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, has been polling nearly 24 points ahead of Trudeau, signalling the possibility of a major defeat for the Liberals in the next Canadian election.

While Canada has a multi-party system, only the Conservatives and the Liberals have managed to historically form government.

Trudeau has previously indicated his intention to run as Liberal leader into Canada’s next election, which must be held on or before 20 October.

But after the resignation of his top cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland in December, due to a rift between her and Trudeau, pressure has grown on the prime minister from within his own party to step down.

"He’s delusional if he thinks we can continue like this," New Brunswick MP Wayne Long told reporters before the Christmas break.

Canada's public broadcaster is reporting that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intends to announce his resignation as Liberal Party leader at Monday morning's news conference.

They are citing sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The sources told CBC that Trudeau intends to continue his PM duties until his successor is chosen.

The Prime Minister's Office says Justin Trudeau "will be making an announcement and answering questions from the media this morning at 10:45am".

Canadian media reports the announcement will come from his residence at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is due to give a news conference in 90 minutes' time amid speculation he could resign.

He has reportedly been considering stepping down as leader of the governing Liberal Party, which could also bring to an end his nine years as prime minister.

His popularity has plummeted among voters, with polls suggesting his party is on course for a general election defeat this year.

Canadian media reports that Trudeau could announce his intention to quit before his party's national caucus meets on Wednesday, to avoid the perception that his own MPs forced him out.

He would stay on as Liberal leader, and PM, until the party elects a new leader, the reports say.

He is currently due to speak at 15:45 GMT - we'll be bringing you the latest.