He isn't. Honestly, it feels like a lifetime ago that Justin Trudeau was the face of Canada, but as of early 2026, he’s officially a former Prime Minister. If you haven't been glued to the chaotic world of Ottawa politics lately, you might have missed the massive shift.
The short answer is no. Justin Trudeau resigned as Prime Minister of Canada on March 14, 2025. It was a wild exit. After a decade in power, the Liberal leader faced a crumbling "confidence and supply" agreement with the NDP, plummeting approval ratings, and a party that was starting to look at the exit doors. He didn't lose a general election to get booted out—he stepped down.
Who is the Prime Minister of Canada right now?
The guy sitting in the big chair today is Mark Carney.
Yeah, the former Governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England. He took over the Liberal leadership and was sworn in as the 24th Prime Minister. It was a move that many saw as a "break glass in case of emergency" strategy for the Liberals. They needed a serious economic heavyweight to counter the massive lead Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives were holding in the polls.
The 2025 Transition
The timeline was pretty messy. Trudeau announced his intention to resign in January 2025. Parliament actually got prorogued—basically put on ice—for a few months while the Liberals figured out their next move. By March, Carney was the guy.
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He didn't just sit there, though. Carney almost immediately asked the Governor General to dissolve Parliament. He wanted his own mandate. That led to a federal election in April 2025.
The results? A bit of a head-scratcher. Carney managed to keep the Liberals in power, but only as a minority government. He's currently leading with a razor-thin margin, even pulling in a few floor-crossers from the Conservatives and NDP to keep the wheels turning.
Is Trudeau still Prime Minister? Why people are confused
It’s easy to see why folks are still Googling this. Trudeau was the face of Canada for ten years. You don't just erase that kind of brand recognition overnight.
- International Presence: Even though he’s out of office, Trudeau still pops up in the news. There were those weird rumors about him and Katy Perry that the tabloids went nuts over.
- The Courts: Just this month (January 2026), the Federal Court of Appeal handed down a ruling about his use of the Emergencies Act back in 2022. It turns out the court thinks his government didn't have the legal grounds to use it. When "Prime Minister Trudeau" is in the headlines for court cases, people naturally think he's still in charge.
- Policy Hangover: A lot of the stuff Carney is dealing with—like the carbon tax and immigration targets—are legacy Trudeau policies. People still associate the current state of the country with the guy who ran it for a decade.
The fallout of the Trudeau era in 2026
Honestly, the "Trudeau brand" took a massive hit toward the end. Statistics Canada recently released data showing that by late 2024, confidence in Parliament had cratered. People weren't just mad at the Liberal party; they were tired of the whole system.
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The housing crisis and the cost of living really did him in. By the time he left, about 40% of Canadians gave Parliament a "failing grade." It's a tough environment for Mark Carney to inherit.
What is Justin Trudeau doing now?
He’s mostly stayed out of the House of Commons. There’s talk of him hitting the international speaking circuit, which is the standard "retired world leader" move. He resigned his seat in Papineau, so he isn't even an MP anymore. He’s essentially a private citizen, albeit one with a permanent security detail and a lot of baggage.
What happens next in Canadian politics?
If you’re wondering if we’re stuck with this minority government forever, the answer is "probably not."
The next fixed-date election isn't technically until October 2029. But let’s be real: minority governments in Canada rarely last four years. Carney is currently walking a tightrope. He just signed a trade deal with China to lower tariffs on canola and EVs, trying to offset the trade war pressure from the U.S. under the Trump administration.
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If that deal flops, or if the NDP decides they’ve had enough of the "Carney-era" Liberals, we could be back at the polls by the end of 2026.
Actionable steps for staying informed
Politics moves fast. If you want to keep track of who’s actually running the show, here’s how to do it:
- Check the PMO Website: The official site of the Prime Minister of Canada will always list the incumbent. Currently, that's Mark Carney.
- Follow the House of Commons Seating Plan: This tells you exactly who is an MP and who has resigned. Trudeau is no longer on that list.
- Watch the "Confidence" Votes: In a minority government, any big budget vote can trigger an election. Keep an eye on the spring budget; that’s usually when things get spicy.
Canada is in a transition period. The Trudeau years are over, and the Carney era is proving to be a lot more focused on spreadsheets than "sunny ways." Whether that works for Canadians remains to be seen.