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Justin Trudeau called a news conference Monday morning as speculation grew that he would step down as Canada's prime minister after ten years in power.
Trudeau's popularity is at an all-time low after voters and members of his party turned against him after a tumultuous period of speculation about his ability to govern the G7 countries.
Canadian media, including national broadcaster CBC, have reported that he is ready to step down. His resignation will spark a leadership race in his Liberal party ahead of a general election that should be held before October this year but could come sooner.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) – a key ally in parliament – announced before Christmas that it would no longer support the Liberal minority government.
Opposition parties, including the NDP, also say they are ready to pass a motion of no confidence in the Commons, which could trigger an early election.
Pierre Poilievre, whose Conservative name leads the Liberals by 25 points in the polls, has repeatedly called for Trudeau withdraw or call early elections, citing challenges in Canada and US President Donald Trump.
Trump has repeatedly mocked Trudeau, calling him the governor of the 51st US state, prompting calls for the prime minister to step down.
Ottawa-born Trudeau, the son of philanthropic Liberal leader Pierre Trudeau, who was prime minister between 1968 and 1979, and from 1980 to 1984, worked as a school drama teacher in Vancouver before being elected leader of the Liberal party in April of 2013.
His tenure as prime minister began in October 2015 when the young man led his Liberal party to victory over the Conservatives and their unpopular leader, Stephen Harper.
During his time in office, Trudeau passed laws to legalize soft drugs, advance gender equality and promote reconciliation with First Nations and the urgent need to address climate change. He also promised to welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees fleeing the war into their country, regardless of immigration levels.
But Trudeau's popularity has fallen over the past year due to the rising cost of living and the housing affordability crisis. His efforts to boost Canada's post-pandemic economy through immigration also faced backlash.
Angus Reid poll released on December 30 showed the percentage of voters intending to vote for the Liberal party had sunk to 16 per cent, the worst level since Trudeau came to power, while the Prime Minister was disapproved, according to the pollster “Trudeau trailr”, was at a high of 74 percent.
The sudden resignation on December 16 of Chrystia Freeland, a former finance minister who had been close to the prime minister, following disputes with Trudeau over government spending, sparked calls for her to step down from the opposition and within her own party.
After Freeland's departure, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said on December 20 that his party intends to withdraw its support from Trudeau or the Liberal party. Singh has promised that his party's voting bloc will consider bringing down the government when parliament resumes at the end of January, which could lead to early elections.