Justin Trudeau to go? What options does Canada PM have as calls for his exit grow?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under immense pressure to step down after Deputy PM and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned on Monday (December 16) due to disagreements over a policy.

After her shock resignation, calls have grown for Trudeau’s exit, with the main opposition Conservative Party demanding a federal election. With even some MPs from his own Liberal Party asking the Canadian PM to leave the top job, Trudeau has a few options left.

Let’s take a closer look.

Justin Trudeau to ‘reflect’ next move

Trudeau has so far refused to bow to the pressure and resign as Canada’s PM.

At an emergency Liberal caucus meeting held after Freeland’s departure , many fellow Liberal MPs asked the Canadian leader to step down, as per Canada’s public broadcaster CBC News.
Reports say Trudeau has told his party MPs that he will take time to reflect.

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“The prime minister, as I understand it … will reflect on both the decision that minister Freeland made, but also what he’s heard from members of his own caucus,” Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Tuesday (December 17).

“I think we all need to give him a little time to reflect, and I respect that fact that he’s going to take some time to reflect.”

Addressing the Liberal Party faithful on Tuesday, Trudeau admitted that politics came with “big challenges” but added that “in difficult times, it’s not time to stop. It’s time to be ambitious, audacious.”

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This is not the first time the 52-year-old has faced calls to step aside and let another leader take Liberals into the next election.

In October, 24 MPs signed a letter seeking his resignation. This came after the Liberal Party lost two federal byelections in its safe seats of Toronto and Montreal this summer.

Trudeau’s popularity has plunged and polls show that if the general elections were held today, his party would lose to its main rival Conservative Party.

Ignoring the clamour to step aside, Trudeau has iterated that he plans to stay on as the Liberal leader in the next election.

After Freeland’s exit, only 13 out of 153 Liberal MPs have so far asked the Canadian PM to step down, of which nearly half are themselves not seeking re-election, as per the tracking by CBC News.

Here’s a look at what Trudeau can do.

If Justin Trudeau stays

Trudeau could dismiss the growing voices calling for his removal and stay put.

To appease some disgruntled MPs, he could offer them Cabinet positions. As CBC News noted, Trudeau was likely to shuffle his Cabinet to replace ministers who are not seeking re-election. This shuffle is expected to happen even if Trudeau stays on as PM.

But if Trudeau decides not to resign, he could face a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons, where Liberals do not enjoy a majority.

The House has been adjourned for the holidays and will now reconvene on January 27. The opposition parties will have the chance to topple his government only after that.

The Conservative and Bloc Quebecois parties have been pushing for Trudeau’s exit since Freeland’s resignation came to light. However, they do not have the numbers to vote him out in Parliament.

New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh, whose party has propped up Trudeau’s minority government, has also asked the Liberal leader to step down.

Sharing a video of himself, he wrote on X Tuesday, “Today, I am calling on Justin Trudeau to resign. Liberals are fighting themselves - when Canadians need a Prime Minister who will fight for them.”

Today, I am calling on Justin Trudeau to resign.

Liberals are fighting themselves - when Canadians need a Prime Minister who will fight for them. pic.twitter.com/1zebsMovqh

— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) December 16, 2024

Singh has, however, stopped short of promising to vote out Trudeau.

The Liberal leader will have to step down if the NDP either votes against his government or abstains from voting during a no-confidence motion, reported CBC News.

NDP House leader Peter Julian told CBC News that if Trudeau continues as PM in the New Year, his party will vote in favour of a no-confidence motion.

“If we have the continued debacle that we’re seeing here and the prime minister has not stepped down … yes, [we would vote no confidence],” he said.

The NDP does not seem in a hurry to topple Trudeau’s government. A possible reason for this could be that polls show that Jagmeet Singh’s party will be defeated — like the Liberals — by the Conservatives in a federal election.

Justin Trudeau can resign

There is a chance that Trudeau will heed the calls to resign. In such a case, the Liberal Party will have to choose a new leader, who will be the next prime minister.

Liberals would name an interim leader to take over the top post until party members organise a special leadership convention to choose a new permanent leader.

Trudeau may also choose to keep his position until the new leader is elected.

Once his successor is picked, he will have to step down and hand over his prime ministerial powers, as per BBC.

Trudeau can prorogue Parliament

To stay in power, Trudeau could prorogue Parliament. This means a suspension of all proceedings, including debates and votes, without dissolving Parliament.

Until the time the Parliament is prorogued, the House and Senate cannot meet or carry out business.

According to Reuters, the move will delay any non-confidence against Trudeau. However, it could also further vex the Liberals if he were to continue as PM.

Trudeau last prorogued Parliament in August 2020 when his government was facing an ethics scandal over its handling of a contract with a charity.

Can Trudeau be forced out at all?

The no-confidence motion can only be held in late February or March as it would likely take weeks for the opposition to propose the motion, as per the Reuters news agency.

Besides being ousted through a no-confidence vote, Trudeau could theoretically be removed by Governor General Mary Simon, who is the personal representative of King Charles.

“The governor general won’t dismiss a prime minister who still holds the confidence of the Commons,” Philippe Lagasse, a professor and constitutional expert at Ottawa’s Carleton University, told the news agency.

Whatever Trudeau decides, Canada has to hold its next election on or before October next year.

With inputs from agencies