Trudeau says Parliament is 'prorogued' until March. What does that mean?

CTV National News: How proroguing Parliament works With Justin Trudeau on his way out as Liberal leader, Parliament has been prorogued. Heather Wright explains what it means.

In his resignation speech on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Parliament would be prorogued until March 24. The move will give the Liberal party time to find a new leader ahead of an expected confidence vote that could trigger an early election in 2025.

"I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process," Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa on Monday. "This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election."

What is prorogation?

Prorogation is a procedural tool that essentially halts the work of Parliament while allowing the government to remain in power. During a period of prorogation, members of Parliament do not sit in the House of Commons, their committee work is suspended, and outstanding bills that have yet to become law are terminated.

The most recent parliamentary session was scheduled to resume from its winter break on Jan. 27, after which Trudeau's minority government could have quickly faced a non-confidence motion from opposition parties that would have triggered a federal election.

Trudeau announced on Monday that Gov. Gen. Mary Simon had granted his request to prorogue parliament.

"Prorogation of a session brings to an end all proceedings before Parliament," the House of Commons' procedural guide explains. "In general, during a prorogation, Members are released from their parliamentary duties until, in the new session, the House and its committees resume activities."

By proroguing parliament until March 24, Trudeau is basically buying time for his embattled party to hold a leadership race before the federal Conservative and NDP parties can topple the Liberal government, which has held power since 2015. As polls showed his popularity plummeting, Trudeau had been facing growing calls to resign from within his own party.

What happens now?

Unfinished bills terminated by prorogation can be re-introduced in the next parliamentary session. Until then, many unfulfilled government promises will remain in limbo. Those include the proposed $250 cheques for working Canadians, expanded gun control measures, boosted border security, capital gains tax changes and new efforts to tackle online harms.

"Obviously, the government's legislative agenda stalls in that period," University of Alberta law professor and constitution expert Eric Adams told CTV News. "But the act of governing under its current executive powers all continues: it continues its power to make appointments, it's business as usual to a certain extent."

Trudeau will remain in power until his successor is chosen, and his government will be forced to deal with tariff threats from the new Trump administration in the U.S., which takes office on Jan. 20.

The co-founder of Democracy Watch, a non-profit that advocates for democratic reform and government accountability, was critical of Trudeau's move.

"Because a prorogation cancels all the bills being reviewed by Parliament, it can waste away all the time and taxpayer money that went into developing and reviewing those bills," Duff Conacher told CTVNews.ca. "Because a prorogation stops the daily Question Period in the House of Commons and House and Senate committee meetings, it also allows the government to escape accountability for its decisions and actions and any wrongdoing. Both of these effects hurt our democratic process while protecting the ruling party."

Parliament is technically prorogued by the Governor General on advice of the Prime Minister. Since it only pauses parliamentary activity, prorogation is different from the "dissolution" of parliament, which automatically triggers a general election.

Trudeau previously prorogued parliament in August 2020 as his government charted a COVID-19 recovery plan while also facing the WE Charity scandal. In their 2015 election platform, the Liberals accused former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper of using prorogation to "avoid difficult political circumstances."

"We will not," the Liberals pledged at the time.

Trudeau's advisers had received legal guidance indicating that March 24 was the longest the government could go without approving new spending. The next parliamentary session will begin with a throne speech outlining the government's intentions and priorities, setting the stage for key confidence votes.

With files from CTV News National Correspondent Rachel Aiello and CTV National News Senior Correspondent Heather Wright.