Trudeau Faces Pressure to Step Down

By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, facing potential electoral loss, is under increasing pressure from within his party to resign.

The ruling Liberal Party is poised for significant defeat in the next election after over nine years in power, fueled by voter fatigue and dissatisfaction stemming from rising prices and a housing crisis.

According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, more than 50 Liberal MPs from Ontario, the party's stronghold, held a call and reached a consensus that Trudeau should resign.

Liberal MP Chandra Arya, previously a supporter of Trudeau, stated, "There is no alternative but to have the leadership change now," as just 18 lawmakers had publicly called for his resignation last Friday.

Trudeau encountered significant challenges last week, including the resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland over a spending policy disagreement and a coalition of opposition parties intending to terminate the minority Liberal government.

Should he depart, potential successors like Freeland, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, and former central bank governor Mark Carney are in consideration.

Despite this, Trudeau appears unprepared to leave, as reported by the Globe and Mail—he plans to spend Christmas with family and a skiing vacation in British Columbia. A Liberal insider speculated that Trudeau would contemplate his future during the holiday season.

Opposition parties argue that as Trudeau’s tenure nears its end, with the forthcoming U.S. administration likely to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports, a swift election is imperative for establishing a stable government.

Polling forecasts indicate that the Liberals would suffer a significant defeat against the right-of-center Conservatives if an election were held now.

In response, the Liberal Party released an advertisement over the weekend cautioning against Conservative cuts to public spending, notably omitting any mention of Trudeau.

Trudeau’s choices are to either remain until an almost guaranteed defeat in a no-confidence vote, likely in March, resign next month allowing for an interim leader selection, or conclude the current parliamentary session to give the party time to prepare for the next election—though this could alienate voters.