[IMAGE – PTI]
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing a big problem within his own Liberal Party. Some members are asking him to step down. This disagreement has grown stronger after Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland unexpectedly quit on December 16, 2024.
Internal Pressure Mounts
Over 50 Liberal Members of Parliament (MPs) from Ontario met online and agreed that Trudeau should leave his position to avoid losing the next election. This decision shows that many in the party are worried about losing public support, which they think is due to reasons like people being tired of voting, higher living costs, and problems with housing.
The recent resignation of Chrystia Freeland, who was an important member of Trudeau’s team, has made things worse. In her resignation letter, Freeland said she didn’t agree with some of the government’s financial plans and was concerned about the economy. Her leaving has started discussions about who might replace Trudeau, with some people mentioning Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, and former central bank leader Mark Carney.
Opposition and No-Confidence Motion
Opposition parties are taking advantage of the situation and working together to oppose Trudeau’s minority government. The New Democratic Party (NDP) plans to propose a no-confidence vote when Parliament starts again on January 27, 2025. If this vote passes, it could cause early elections, which might result in a new leader.
Trudeau’s Response and Future Prospects
Even though there’s more and more pressure, Prime Minister Trudeau hasn’t said he plans to quit soon. He’s going to think about what he wants to do next while he’s on vacation with his family in British Columbia. People who know about these things think Trudeau has a few choices to make:
- Remain in Office: He could decide to remain in power and deal with the no-confidence motion, but recent surveys indicate that the Liberals might lose to the Conservatives in the next election.
- Step Down: Another option is for Trudeau to step down. This would let the Liberal Party choose a temporary leader and plan a meeting to pick a new one. But this might take a long time and not fix the party’s problems right away.
- Prorogue Parliament: Another choice is to pause Parliament, which would delay the no-confidence vote and give time to plan. But this action might upset both the public and Liberal MPs even more.
Public Sentiment and Economic Concerns
People are becoming less happy with Trudeau’s leadership because of problems like high prices and a difficult housing situation. Some important leaders in his team have quit, making people trust him even less. There are also outside problems, like possible new taxes from the U.S. government with President-elect Donald Trump.
In the end, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thinks about what to do next, the problems inside his own party show that Canada is at a very important time in its politics. The next few weeks will be very important for deciding who leads the country and what it will focus on, both at home and with other countries.
BY – NIKITA