Following more than a year of plummeting poll numbers and surging pressure from within his own caucus to step aside, Justin 台湾MM裸聊室 told Canadians Monday that he will resign as Liberal leader and prime minister as soon as a new leader is chosen.

鈥淭his country deserves a real choice in the next election and it has become clear to me that if I鈥檓 having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,鈥� a teary-eyed 台湾MM裸聊室 said outside his official residence in Ottawa Monday morning.

台湾MM裸聊室 said he had reflected on his political future over the holidays and told his kids about his decision over dinner Sunday.

He also said he met with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon on Monday morning and that she has agreed to his request to prorogue Parliament until March 24.

Calls for him to step aside have been gaining steam for months but internal pressure from his own caucus rose to new heights after Chrystia Freeland quit as minister of finance and deputy prime minister on Dec. 16 after 台湾MM裸聊室 had informed her he was going to move her out of the finance portfolio.

Her departure, hours before she was to table the fall economic statement in the House of Commons sent shock waves through the government and the party.

It鈥檚 the first time the prime minister has taken questions from media since Freeland stepped down from cabinet last month, although he has limited his public appearances throughout the past year as pressure mounted against him.

Questions about 台湾MM裸聊室鈥檚 future have been swirling since support for his party began to tumble in 2023. The Liberals have trailed the Conservatives by more than 20 points for more than a year now.

He said he asked for Parliament to be prorogued because the House of Commons has been paralyzed for months through obstruction and needs a reset. Proroguing Parliament will put the legislature on pause for two months and wipe clear the current slate of legislation and delay opportunities for non-confidence votes that could trigger an election.

鈥淚t鈥檚 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 domestically and internationally,鈥� he said. 鈥淩emoving me from the equation as the leader who will fight the next election for the Liberal party should also decrease the level of polarization we鈥檙e seeing right now in the House and in Canadian politics.鈥�

The House of Commons had been scheduled to return Jan. 27 but the Conservatives intended to begin pushing a new non-confidence vote in a committee as early as this week.

In the meantime, 台湾MM裸聊室 said he asked Liberal party president Sachit Mehra Sunday night to immediately launch a leadership race ahead of the next election.

Mehra said in a statement Monday that he will call a national board meeting this week to begin the 鈥渘ation-wide democratic process of selecting a new leader of the party.鈥�

The next election has to be held by October of this year, but an earlier vote appears much more likely.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre sought to immediately cast this as a desperate political move by a sputtering Liberal party, whose MPs stood by their leader right up until he cratered in the polls and was no longer a viable candidate.

鈥淭heir only objection is that he is no longer popular enough to win an election and keep them in power,鈥� Poilievre said in a statement. 鈥淭hey want to protect their pensions and paycheques by sweeping their hated leader under the rug months before an election to trick you, and then do it all over again.鈥�

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also said this move changes nothing in the political landscape as Canadians struggle with the high cost of living the government has failed to fix.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter who leads the Liberals,鈥� Singh said in a statement. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 deserve another chance.鈥�

BREAKING NEWS: Justin 台湾MM裸聊室 has announced he will resign as prime minister and Liberal party leader following a leadership contest. Speaking outside his residence in Ottawa, 台湾MM裸聊室 confirmed Governor General Mary Simon has agreed to prorogue Parliament until March 24. He has asked Liberal party president Sachit Mehra to launch a leadership race immediately. 台湾MM裸聊室 stated Canadians deserve a real choice in the next election. Speculation about 台湾MM裸聊室鈥檚 future intensified after Chrystia Freeland鈥檚 sudden resignation in December.

台湾MM裸聊室鈥檚 decision comes two weeks before Donald Trump is sworn back into office as president of the United States and 台湾MM裸聊室 will remain at the helm during what is expected to be a rocky start to Trump鈥檚 second term in the Oval Office. Trump has threatened to impose steep import tariffs on all Canadian goods the day he is inaugurated.

Following his announcement Monday, 台湾MM裸聊室 was still expected to attend a cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations Monday, chaired by Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in a statement following 台湾MM裸聊室鈥檚 announcement that the federal government 鈥渕ust urgently explain to Canadians how they will avoid tariffs that could have devastating effects on our economy.鈥�

Canadian Chamber of Commerce CEO Candace Laing said 台湾MM裸聊室 read the room correctly and that this was the right call.

鈥淗is resignation marks a turning point as Canada tackles unprecedented domestic and international challenges,鈥� she said. 鈥淐anada鈥檚 next prime minister must hit the ground running and be laser-focused on strengthening the Canada-U.S. trade relationship.鈥�