Toronto: Troubles continue to escalate for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as calls for his resignation intensify, following the unexpected resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Monday.
Trudeau has led the country for almost a decade, however, has become ‘widely unpopular’ in recent years over several issues including inflation, high cost of living and rising violence.
Things turned bad when his own Liberal Party lawmakers criticised his leadership and called for his resignation. However, there is no immediate way for Trudeau’s party to remove him from office. But he could choose to resign, or his party might be forced out through a “no confidence” vote in Parliament, which would likely lead to an election that favours the Conservative Party.
If his party manages to survive a vote in Parliament—which currently seems increasingly unlikely—Trudeau could remain as prime minister until the next election.
‘You and I Have Found Ourselves at Odds’: Finance Minister Resigns
Canada’s Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, unexpectedly resigned on Monday, stating she was no longer aligned with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the country’s future direction. Her resignation came just hours before she was scheduled to present the fall economic update to Parliament, a document anticipated to reveal a significantly larger 2023/24 budget deficit than initially planned.
In her resignation letter, Freeland wrote, “For the last number of weeks, you and I have found ourselves at odds over the best path forward for Canada.”
He Has to Go: Trudeau’s Ex-Ally NDP Calls for Trudeau’s Resignation
Jagmeet Singh, a former ally of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a leader of New Democratic Party (NDP), has called for Trudeau’s resignation amid growing pressure. Singh believes that Justin Trudeau is not fighting for the people and instead, the Liberals are fighting amongst themselves.
In a video he shared on X, Jagmeet Singh said, “I am calling on Justin Trudeau to resign, he has to go. Right now, Canadians are struggling with the cost of living – I hear it everywhere I go. People cannot find a home that they can afford, they can’t buy their groceries and on top of that, we have Trump threatening tariffs at 25% which puts hundreds and thousands of Canadian jobs at risk.”
“And instead of focusing on these issues, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals are focused on themselves. They’re fighting themselves instead of fighting for Canadians. For that reason, today I’m calling on Justin Trudeau to resign. He has to go,” he added.
What Would Be Trdueau’s Next Step?
Trudeau’s Potential Resignation Opens Door for Liberal Leadership Contest
If Trudeau resigns, the Liberals would need to appoint an interim prime minister until elections are held. Potential candidates for the interim role include Mark Carney, former head of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, and Trudeau’s new finance minister, Dominic LeBlanc.
Opposition Set to Challenge Trudeau’s Leadership
Concerns about Trudeau’s leadership grew after Chrystia Freeland resigned from his Cabinet, criticising his handling of the economy, also after the finance minister stepped down. Political analysts believe that if more ministers resign, Trudeau will be forced to resign.
Opposition parties could initiate a “no confidence” vote in Parliament, which would trigger an early election. The NDP, once a supporter of Trudeau’s government, now calls for his resignation, making a “no confidence” vote more likely. If the Liberals survive the vote, the next election could be held by October 20, but if not then an election might come sooner.
The Conservatives lead the polls, and if they win, they could form a majority government. The best outcome for the Liberals in the next election would be a minority government, with the Conservatives taking a dominant position.
Trudeau Could Try to Hang on to Power
The political winds are blowing heavily against Trudeau, but he could theoretically cling to power a while longer.
While a growing number want him to resign, one longtime supporter, Liberal lawmaker James Maloney, said Trudeau has the support of his base in Parliament.
If Trudeau’s Liberal party survives no-confidence votes in the coming months — an unlikely scenario — the latest the next federal election could be held is October 20.
The odds of an election much sooner than that have gone up.
“I expect an election in late spring, unless Trudeau decides to dissolves Parliament and dives into an election before then,” said Wiseman.
With Liberals’ grip on power fading, experts say the best they can hope for in the next election is to hold the Conservatives to a minority government that will be reliant on other parties to pass legislation. The latest polling from Nanos has the Conservatives leading the Liberals 43% to 23%, suggesting Conservatives could win a majority of the seats.
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