As Calls For Justin Trudeau’s Resignation Get Louder, What Are His Options? Explained

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If Justin Trudeau decides to stay, he will have to face disgruntled Liberal MPs and a House of Commons. He might have to appease some MPs by offering them cabinet positions. If he decides to step down, the Liberal Party will have to choose a...Read More

With Justin Trudeau completing nearly 10 years as Prime Minister, Canadians have grown weary of his government, and there is 'incumbent fatigue' among the people. (Getty File Photo)
With Justin Trudeau completing nearly 10 years as Prime Minister, Canadians have grown weary of his government, and there is 'incumbent fatigue' among the people. (Getty File Photo)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing mounting pressure from within his Liberal Party and the Opposition, as many have given up hope on the incumbent leader’s ability to pull out the country from the economic mess and diplomatic rows.

On Monday, finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from his cabinet, citing irreconcilable differences over the country’s response to US President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

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    The move has shaken up the Liberal Party, as nearly 60 of its 153 Members of Parliament have also called for a change in leadership.

    What Is The Leadership Crisis Within The Liberal Party?

    The Liberal Party’s internal divisions have reached a boiling point, with a third of its MPs urging Trudeau to step down. Jagmeet Singh, leader of New Democratic Party (NDP), which has been key to keep Trudeau’s minority party afloat, has also called for his resignation.

    While Opposition leaders have not pushed for his resignation, they are adamant on holding an early election.

    The Liberals, who lost the support of NDP in September, when Jagmeet Singh announced that his party was withdrawing from a 2022 agreement to prop up Trudeau’s minority government, will be more vulnerable if a no-confidence vote is triggered in the House of Commons. The result of that vote could force Trudeau to call an early election.

    What Are The Options Before Trudeau?

    Can He Be Forced Out By His Liberal Party?

    Unlike India and Britain, where party leaders are chosen by parliamentary caucus and can be removed quickly, a leader of the Liberal Party is selected by a special convention of members. So, if Trudeau wants to stay, he cannot be forced out. And if a majority of legislators and members of his own cabinet call for him to go, he may conclude his position indefensible.

    Can Parliament Ask Him To Resign?

    Canadian governments must show they have the confidence of the House of Commons elected chamber. Votes on budgets and other spending are considered confidence measures and if a government loses one, it falls. In virtually all cases, an election campaign starts immediately. The government must allocate a few days each session to opposition parties so that they can unveil a non-confidence motion. If all parties vote against the Liberals, Trudeau will fall. If one opposition party abstains, he will stay in power. Since the House of Commons closed on December 17 and will return on January 27, the Opposition would propose a no-confidence vote not later than February or March.

    What If He Decides To Resign?

    The Liberal Party will have to choose a new leader and prime minister. Parliament could carry on as normal while the party will have to start a leadership race. But since the Liberal Party is not in majority in Parliament, they run a risk of being toppled in a no-confidence motion. Thus, it might be safer for Trudeau to ask the governor general to prorogue Parliament. Prorogation is a process of temporary pausing parliamentary functioning. This means all bills that have not received the royal assent are withdrawn, and a new session begins when Parliament returns.

    What If He Decides To Stay On?

    Trudeau will have to face disgruntled Liberal MPs and a House of Commons that might fight tooth and nail to defeat his government. He might have to appease some MPs by offering them cabinet positions. In any case, he was expected to reshuffle his cabinet at some point in the coming weeks. With the House now adjourned, an immediate election can only be triggered by Trudeau himself asking the governor general to dissolve Parliament.

    What is The Public Opinion On Trudeau?

    Most recent polls have shown Trudeau facing a difficult time in trying to win back public support ahead of the election, which must be held before late October 2025.

    A Leger survey from November found that 42% of Canadians said they planned to vote for the Conservatives in the next election, compared with 26% who backed the Liberals and 15% who picked the NDP.

    Nearly seven in 10 Canadians also said they were dissatisfied with Trudeau’s government, the same survey found.

    “Prime Minister, you’ve failed Canada. You’ve ruined this country. Walk away—you don’t have an ounce of your father’s integrity. Everyone around you is abandoning you. Chrystia Freeland, Sean Fraser—they’ve all left. It’s time for you to go," said Canadian citizens on live TV.

    With Trudeau completing nearly 10 years as Prime Minister, Canadians have grown weary of his government, and there is “incumbent fatigue" among the people.

    Canada’s political problems are an offshoot of the economic troubles such as the housing crisis, rising costs and now the 25% tariffs to be imposed by the US on the country.

    An Abacus Data poll last month found 45% of Canadians said Conservative Party’s Pierre Poilievre had a better chance of getting positive results for Canada during a second Trump presidency. Only 20% said Trudeau was better positioned.

    Another more recent poll (PDF) on which of the two leaders was better suited to manage Trump showed 36% choosing Poilievre compared with 34% who picked Trudeau.

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      The CBC News Poll Tracker, which aggregates federal election polling data across Canada, also had the Conservatives with a 21-percentage-point lead over the Liberals on December 16.

      (With inputs from Reuters)

      News explainers As Calls For Justin Trudeau’s Resignation Get Louder, What Are His Options? Explained
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