After announcing his departure, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried to reach an agreement with opposition leaders so that his government would survive a few more weeks in Parliament, Radio-Canada has learned.

Sources said the day after announcing he would resign on Monday, the prime minister personally called the leaders of the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois.

He wanted to obtain a commitment from one or the other to vote in favour of the budget appropriations — a vote of confidence — at the end of March, once prorogation had passed, the sources said.

That vote of confidence would have ensured the survival of the government for a few more weeks and given the Liberal Party of Canada more time to elect its new leader.

But Trudeau's gambit faltered, with both the Bloc and the NDP refusing to back the embattled prime minister as they stood by their respective promises that they would bring down the government at the first opportunity.