 "Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at the federal Liberal caucus holiday party, the day after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland unexpectedly resigned, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada December 17, 2024. Reuters file")
Where is Justin Trudeau? The Canadian prime minister has reportedly been absent from the public eye since December 16, the day Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s most trusted ally and the country’s finance minister, announced her shock resignation.
According to a Bloomberg report, Trudeau spent much of the holiday season at a ski resort in western Canada and is not planning to make any official public appearances in the first week of January. At the same time, the Liberal leader has not announced his future course of action either.
Trudeau faces pressure
As Trudeau remains aloof from the public eye, his Liberal Party colleagues are pushing him to quit as the party’s numbers dip. A recent poll by Nanos Research showed the Conservative Party taking the lead in the upcoming elections.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, members of the Liberal caucus in Quebec, Prime Minister Trudeau’s home province, have urged him to step down, following a similar call from their counterparts in Ontario.
Some party leaders have even openly asked Trudeau to step aside. Toronto lawmaker Rob Oliphant posted a letter online asking the prime minister to make way for “a new leader elected through a robust, open leadership contest.”
Kody Blois, Member of the House of Commons, said, “The country could face instability, notably from an economic threat in the potential of a 25% US tariff on Canadian imports from the incoming administration.”
He added, “Simply put, time is of the essence,” and that it’s “not tenable” for Trudeau to stay.
What could happen next?
There is no mechanism for Trudeau’s party to force him out in the short term. He could resign, or his party could be forced from power by a “no confidence” vote in Parliament that would trigger an election that would very likely favour the opposing Conservative Party.
If his party were to survive a vote in Parliament — which seems increasingly unlikely — Trudeau could choose to stay on as prime minister until there is an election.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWith voters deeply unhappy, Parliament has the authority to try to knock Trudeau’s Liberal party from power by holding a “no confidence” vote that would trigger an early election. And if a majority of Parliament votes against his government, Trudeau would then be “erased in the election,” Canadian historian Robert Bothwell.
With inputs from agencies