Joe Clark's Conservatives win minority government. Mr. Trudeau resigns as prime minister. Announces his intention to resign from politics the following spring. Clark government fails on non-confidence vote. Announces he will lead Liberals in the federal election.
Liberals win majority government.
Sworn in as Canada's 17th prime minister. Quebecers vote 60-40 to reject a mandate to negotiate sovereignty association. National Energy Program introduced. After four days of negotiation, eight premiers and Mr. Trudeau agree on constitutional deal without consent of Quebec premier Rene Levesque, an act mythologized by Quebec nationalists as the Night of the Long Knives. Mr. Trudeau's one-man world peace initiative comes to an unofficial conclusion with speech in Commons.