Career Timeline of Justin Trudeau: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Justin Trudeau made an impact.

Justin Trudeau is the 23rd and current Prime Minister of Canada, holding office since 2015. He is also the leader of the Liberal Party, a position he has held since 2013. Trudeau's tenure as Prime Minister has been marked by a focus on social justice issues, including the legalization of cannabis and investments in social programs. His government has also addressed issues such as climate change and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Trudeau is the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1988: Supported John Turner in Federal Election

In 1988, Justin Trudeau supported the Liberal Party and offered his support to party leader John Turner in the federal election.

2000: Started Kokanee Glacier Alpine Campaign

In 2000, Justin Trudeau and his family started the Kokanee Glacier Alpine Campaign for winter sports safety.

2002: Chaired Katimavik Youth Program

From 2002, Justin Trudeau chaired the Katimavik youth program.

2002: Panelist on CBC Radio's Canada Reads

In 2002, Justin Trudeau was a panelist on CBC Radio's Canada Reads series, where he championed Wayne Johnston's "The Colony of Unrequited Dreams."

2003: Co-hosted Tribute to Jean Chrétien

In 2003, Justin Trudeau, along with Charmaine Crooks, co-hosted a tribute to outgoing prime minister Jean Chrétien at the Liberal Party's leadership convention.

April 2004: Inauguration of the Trudeau Centre

In April 2004, Justin Trudeau and his brother Alexandre inaugurated the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto, which later became part of the Munk School of Global Affairs.

2005: Fought Against Proposed Zinc Mine

In 2005, Justin Trudeau fought against a proposed $100-million zinc mine that he argued would poison the Nahanni River, a United Nations World Heritage Site located in the Northwest Territories.

September 17, 2006: Master of Ceremonies at Darfur Rally

On September 17, 2006, Justin Trudeau was the master of ceremonies at a Toronto rally organized by Roméo Dallaire, which called for Canadian participation in resolving the Darfur crisis.

2006: Chaired Task Force on Youth Renewal

After the Liberal Party's defeat in the 2006 federal election, Justin Trudeau was appointed to chair a task force on youth renewal.

2006: Supported Gerard Kennedy and Stéphane Dion

In 2006, Justin Trudeau announced his support for leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy and introduced him during the candidates' final speeches. When Kennedy dropped off, Trudeau supported the ultimate winner, Stéphane Dion.

2006: Hosted the Giller Prize Presentation Ceremony

In 2006, Justin Trudeau hosted the presentation ceremony for the Giller Prize for literature.

2006: Appointed Chair of the Liberal Party's Task Force on Youth Renewal

In 2006, Justin Trudeau was appointed as the chair of the Liberal Party's Task Force on Youth Renewal.

2006: Riding of Papineau Falls to Bloc Québécois

In 2006, the riding of Papineau, which had been in Liberal hands for 53 years, fell to the Bloc Québécois.

2006: Ended Chairmanship of Katimavik

Justin Trudeau's chairmanship of the Katimavik youth program ended in 2006.

April 29, 2007: Won Liberal Nomination in Papineau

On April 29, 2007, Justin Trudeau won the Liberal party's nomination in Papineau, defeating Mary Deros and Basilio Giordano.

2007: Sought Liberal Nomination in Papineau

In early 2007, after rumours of running in Outremont, Justin Trudeau announced that he would seek the Liberal nomination in the nearby riding of Papineau for the next general election.

October 14, 2008: Elected as MP for Papineau

On October 14, 2008, Justin Trudeau narrowly defeated Bloc Québécois incumbent Vivian Barbot and was elected as the Member of Parliament for Papineau.

December 2008: Michael Ignatieff Named Liberal Leader

In December 2008, Michael Ignatieff was named leader after Trudeau did not enter the race.

2008: Mentioned as Potential Liberal Leader

After Dion's resignation as Liberal leader in 2008, Justin Trudeau's name was mentioned as a potential candidate with polls showing him as a favourite among Canadians for the position.

2008: Elected to the House of Commons

In 2008, Justin Trudeau was elected to represent the riding of Papineau in the House of Commons.

2008: Entered Parliament as Member of Official Opposition

In 2008, after the Conservative Party won a minority government, Justin Trudeau entered parliament as a member of the Official Opposition.

April 2009: Co-Chaired Liberal Party National Convention

In April 2009, Justin Trudeau co-chaired the Liberal Party's national convention in Vancouver.

2009: Liberal Party's Critic for Youth and Multiculturalism

In 2009, Justin Trudeau became the Liberal Party's Official Opposition critic for youth and multiculturalism.

September 2010: Critic for Youth, Citizenship, and Immigration

In September 2010, Justin Trudeau was reassigned as the Liberal Party's critic for youth, citizenship, and immigration.

2010: Critic for Citizenship and Immigration

In 2010, Justin Trudeau became the Liberal Party's critic for citizenship and immigration.

2010: Advocated for Increased Haiti Relief Efforts

In 2010, Justin Trudeau encouraged an increase in Canada's relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and sought more accessible immigration procedures for Haitians moving to Canada.

2011: Critic for Secondary Education and Sport

In 2011, Justin Trudeau was appointed as a critic for secondary education and sport.

2011: Considered to Lead Liberal Party Again

In 2011, after the Liberal Party's poor showing in the election and Ignatieff's resignation, Justin Trudeau was again seen as a potential candidate to lead the party.

2011: Re-elected in Papineau, Liberal Party Third Party Standing

In the 2011 federal election, Justin Trudeau was re-elected in Papineau, but the Liberal Party fell to third-party standing in the House of Commons.

2011: Gained 150 Seats Compared to 2011 Election

On October 19, 2015, the liberals gained 150 seats compared to the 2011 election.

June 2012: Bob Rae's Decision Triggers Renewed Calls for Trudeau to Run

In June 2012, after interim leader Bob Rae announced he would not be entering the race, Justin Trudeau was hit with a "tsunami" of calls from supporters to reconsider his earlier decision not to seek the leadership.

July 2012: Considered Liberal Leadership Bid

In July 2012, Justin Trudeau stated that he would reconsider his earlier decision to not seek the leadership of the Liberal Party and would announce his final decision at the end of the summer.

September 26, 2012: Media Reports on Trudeau's Upcoming Leadership Bid

On September 26, 2012, multiple media outlets started reporting that Justin Trudeau would launch his bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party the following week.

October 2, 2012: Launched Leadership Bid in Montreal

On October 2, 2012, Justin Trudeau held a rally in Montreal to launch his bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party.

November 26, 2012: By-Elections Held During Leadership Campaign

During the leadership campaign, three by-elections were held on November 26, 2012. A week before, Sun Media reported on comments Trudeau made in 2010 regarding Alberta.

March 13, 2013: Garneau Drops Out of Leadership Race

On March 13, 2013, Marc Garneau dropped out of the Liberal leadership race, citing polling data indicating he couldn't defeat Trudeau.

April 14, 2013: Won Liberal Leadership Election

On April 14, 2013, Justin Trudeau won the Liberal leadership election, garnering 80.1% of the votes.

April 2013: Leadership Convention Date Decided

Weeks after the 2011 election Toronto MP Bob Rae was selected as the interim leader until the party's leadership convention, which was later decided to be held in April 2013.

2013: Became Leader of the Liberal Party

In 2013, Justin Trudeau became the leader of the Liberal Party.

2013: Elected Leader of the Liberal Party

In 2013, Justin Trudeau was elected leader of the Liberal Party.

2014: Launched Economic Platform Video

In 2014, Justin Trudeau launched an internet video titled "An economy that benefits us all" in which he narrates his economic platform.

October 19, 2015: Led Liberals to Victory in Federal Election

On October 19, 2015, Justin Trudeau led the Liberals to a decisive victory in the federal election, winning 184 seats for a strong majority government.

November 4, 2015: Swearing-In Ceremony

On November 4, 2015, Justin Trudeau and his Cabinet were sworn in by Governor General David Johnston, marking the beginning of his term as Prime Minister.

December 3, 2015: Legislative Priorities

On December 3, 2015, after parliament reconvened, Justin Trudeau announced his first legislative priority: to lower taxes for middle-income Canadians and raise taxes for the top 1% of income earners.

2015: Move to Rideau Cottage

After his 2015 electoral victory, Trudeau opted to live at Rideau Cottage, on the grounds of Rideau Hall.

2015: Became Prime Minister of Canada

In 2015, Justin Trudeau became the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada.

2015: Led Liberal Party to Majority Government

In 2015, Justin Trudeau led the Liberal Party to a majority government in the federal election, becoming Prime Minister.

2017: Introduction of Legislation for Fundraiser Transparency

In 2017, Justin Trudeau introduced legislation aimed at increasing transparency for political fundraisers.

September 11, 2019: Request to Dissolve Parliament and Trigger Election

On September 11, 2019, Justin Trudeau visited Governor General Julie Payette to request the dissolution of Parliament, formally triggering an election.

2019: Appointment of Dominic Barton as ambassador to China

In 2019, Justin Trudeau appointed Dominic Barton as ambassador to China, amidst deteriorating Canada-China relations.

2019: Liberal Party Reduced to Minority Government

In the 2019 federal election, Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party was reduced to a minority government.

2020: Assault-Style Weapons Ban Announced

In 2020, Justin Trudeau's government announced an "assault-style" weapons ban in response to the Nova Scotia attacks.

August 15, 2021: Dissolution of Parliament and Election Call

On August 15, 2021, Justin Trudeau advised Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve parliament, scheduling an election for September 20. The election was called on the same day as the Fall of Kabul.

2021: Liberals Led to Another Minority Government

In the 2021 federal election, Justin Trudeau led the Liberals to another minority government.

2021: Third Mandate and Second Minority Government

In the 2021 federal election, Justin Trudeau secured a third mandate and his second minority government after winning 160 seats, though the Liberals came in second in the national popular vote.

2022: Emergencies Act Invoked and Sanctions Imposed on Russia

In 2022, Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act in response to the Freedom Convoy protests. Also in 2022, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, sanctions were imposed on Russia and military aid was authorized for Ukraine.

September 19, 2024: Rodriguez Resigns to Run for Quebec Liberal Leadership

On September 19, 2024, Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez resigned to run for leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.

December 15, 2024: Fraser Announces Intent to Leave Cabinet

On December 15, 2024, Housing Minister Sean Fraser announced his intention to leave the federal cabinet in the next shuffle, citing family reasons.

December 16, 2024: Chrystia Freeland Resigns as Deputy Prime Minister

On December 16, 2024, Chrystia Freeland resigned as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, citing a lack of confidence from Trudeau.

2024: NDP Terminates Confidence and Supply Agreement

In late 2024, the New Democratic Party (NDP) opted to terminate its confidence and supply agreement with the Liberal Party.

January 6, 2025: Resignation Announcement

On January 6, 2025, Justin Trudeau announced that he would resign as both the prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party.

January 15, 2025: Confirmation of not seeking re-election

On January 15, 2025, Trudeau confirmed that he would not seek re-election in his riding of Papineau.