After a not always relaxing vacation spent with family in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was back in the federal capital on Thursday, where the same problems await him as at the end of the year: a growing number calls for his resignation and a crumbling of support within the electorate.
According to rumors, the Prime Minister was to reflect on his future during the holiday break. This moment of reflection was, however, marked by attacks and mockery from vacationers.
During his visit to a ski resort in Rossland, British Columbia, last week, a woman called out to him to “get the hell out” of the province.
His return to Ottawa will not allow him to escape the discontent that continues to grow towards him. As soon as the Prime Minister returned to town, MP and former Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino announced that he will not seek re-election in the next federal election.
The Prime Minister would also have lost the support of the majority of deputies from his regional caucuses in Quebec, Ontario and the Atlantic, according to information from various media.
Tuesday, during an interview on the show Midi info, Liberal MP Alexandra Mendès revealed that a “majority” of the 33 MPs defending the banner of the Liberal Party of Canada in Quebec are now demanding the resignation of Mr. Trudeau.
In interview with Dutyshe explains that three colleagues reported to her that the president of the caucus, Stéphane Lauzon, would have taken the pulse of Quebec deputies by telephone in recent days. “Those who spoke to me told me that the caucus chair had consulted with them and the consensus was that the leader should leave. I was not called, but my position is already known,” she explains.
Four Quebec MPs have already publicly called for the departure of Mr. Trudeau, namely Alexandra Mendès, Sophie Chatel, Joël Lightbound and Anthony Housefather.
According to Mme Mendès, Quebec ministers could be among those dissatisfied. “When we talk about the caucus, we talk about all the members, including the ministers,” she believes.
According to CBC News, 51 MPs from the Ontario caucus — a majority of the 75 members of the regional caucus — expressed their desire for Mr. Trudeau to resign during a virtual meeting on December 21.
Together, the Quebec and Ontario caucuses have considerable clout, representing 71% of Liberal MPs elected in the 2021 federal election.
The Atlantic caucus, which has 23 MPs, also followed in the footsteps of Ontario MPs in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister dated December 23.
Public calls for Justin Trudeau’s resignation have multiplied after the resounding departure of his former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on December 16. Support for the Liberals fell five points in the weeks after he resigned from cabinet, from 21% to 16%, according to a new Angus Reid poll.
A race for leadership?
It is difficult, at present, to predict what Justin Trudeau will decide to do between now and the resumption of parliamentary work, which is scheduled for January 27.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, no public events are planned in the coming days. He has not spoken publicly since the shock resignation of Chrystia Freeland, with the exception of a brief speech at an evening gathering donors, as well as at his party’s Christmas party.
At the end of his reflection, Justin Trudeau could still take the gamble of hanging on to power, since there is no mechanism within the Liberal caucus to oust the leader. However, its minority government could risk falling in the coming weeks, since the three opposition parties are now ready to defeat the government in a vote of no confidence.
According to information from Dutya very critical petition against the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Jagmeet Singh, urging him to overthrow the government as soon as possible is currently in circulation.
Launched by NDP supporters — including former MPs and party employees, according to a source involved — the petition deplores that Canada is “in a bad situation” and blames the NDP leader for being responsible for it. because of its alliance with the Liberal government. The group calls on New Democratic MPs to table it in the House of Commons when work resumes, but could fall back on elected officials from another party so that they submit it themselves.
Another option: the Prime Minister could decide to leave office and request the prorogation of Parliament. This would notably allow the party to choose a new leader without being hampered by parliamentary work, if Mr. Trudeau agrees.
Among the potential candidates to succeed Mr. Trudeau is former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, whose departure was seen by many as preparation for launching a leadership race.
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is also said to be a potential successor. In a recent opinion letter published in the Globe and Mailhe indicated that Canadians “deserve to be able to choose the best approach” to lead the country at the end of this election year and called for “defending Canada” against Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Finally, Justin Trudeau could decide to prorogue Parliament without resigning, in order to avoid a vote of confidence and postpone the elections until later.
If no one yet knows what choice the Prime Minister will make, Alexandra Mendès hopes for a quick conclusion. “I find that what we are currently experiencing is very dangerous for the country,” confides the member for Brossard — Saint-Lambert.
A historic low
As calls for the prime minister’s resignation grow, a new Angus Reid poll finds support for the Liberal Party falling to just 16% — the lowest support rate for the party registered since the firm began tracking measure it, in 2014.
“This is also probably the lowest voting intention that the Liberals have ever received in the modern era,” we can read in the firm’s analysis.
Even in the 2011 federal election, where the Liberal Party recorded its worst electoral performance in its 157-year history, the Liberals still obtained at least 17% in polls leading up to the election.
Nearly half (46%) of Canadians and three in five Liberal supporters now believe it is time for the Liberal leader to step aside and call a leadership race.
The federal elections are officially scheduled for October 2025, but in the current context, many believe they could take place in the spring.
