Trudeau Leaves Canada in Suspense as Anxious Liberals Urge Him to Go

Trudeau Leaves Canada in Suspense as Anxious Liberals Urge Him to Go

The holiday period has come and gone, but one question remains on everyone’s mind in Canadian politics: when will Justin Trudeau finally make his decision known?

A Prime Minister in Hiding

Since December 16th, when Chrystia Freeland – his finance minister and once his most powerful ally in cabinet – resigned with a scathing public letter that criticized him, the prime minister has largely disappeared from public view. According to a person familiar with his schedule, Trudeau spent much of the holidays at a ski resort in western Canada and is not planning any official events or appearances by the end of the week.

Liberal Lawmakers Turn Up the Pressure

But despite his absence, lawmakers within his Liberal Party are increasingly anxious for him to make his decision known. They have been urging Trudeau to step down as prime minister, warning that if he continues to delay, it will only lead to further damage to the party and the country.

Nik Nanos, founder of Nanos Research, weighs in on the situation:

"Until now, it was primarily Justin Trudeau’s personal brand that was damaged. I think now the big issue is how much damage will he inflict on the party brand because he is dragging out what looks like will be his resignation at one point or another."

A Leadership Race Looms

If Trudeau does eventually step down as prime minister, it would trigger a leadership race within the Liberal Party. But this process would not be smooth sailing for the Liberals. According to Nanos, "a leadership race may take three months to run – under different circumstances, it would take even longer."

The risks of a long delay are clear:

"The longer Trudeau waits to address both his party and the country, the more he risks provoking a Liberal rebellion," said Nanos.

A Politically Wounded Prime Minister

Trudeau’s hold on parliament is precarious, with the three largest opposition parties promising to vote "no confidence" if he stays in office. This would trigger an election, which could be disastrous for the Liberals.

Nanos highlights the challenges that lie ahead:

"A politically wounded prime minister is not really in a very strong position to negotiate anything with someone like Donald Trump."

A Difficult Road Ahead for the Liberal Party

Even with a new leader, the party would need a major turnaround in public opinion just to save most of its seats, much less hold onto government. The Liberals’ worst showing in any national election was in 2011, when they won 19% of the popular vote, which translated into just 34 out of 308 seats.

The road ahead looks daunting for the Liberal Party:

"He took the Liberals out of the wilderness," said Nanos. "It very well may be that he will return them to the political wilderness at the end of the next federal election."

As Trudeau’s decision continues to hang in the balance, one thing is clear: the fate of the Liberal Party hangs in the balance, and it’s not looking good.

What do you think? Will Trudeau make his decision known soon, or will he continue to delay? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.