Justin Trudeau Leaves Canada in Suspense as Anxious Liberals Urge Him to Step Down
The holiday period has come and gone, but one question continues to dominate Canadian politics: when will Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally address the nation? The Liberal Party is growing increasingly anxious, with many lawmakers urging him to quit as the party’s polling numbers continue to slide.
Trudeau’s Disappearance from Public View
Since December 16th, when Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned in a scathing public letter that criticized Trudeau, the Prime Minister has largely disappeared from public view. Sources close to his schedule indicate that he spent much of the holidays at a ski resort in western Canada and has no plans for official events or appearances by the end of the week.
Liberal Lawmakers Turn Up the Pressure
Despite Trudeau’s silence, Liberal lawmakers are speaking out, urging him to step down before it’s too late. Nik Nanos, founder of Nanos Research, believes that the longer Trudeau waits to address both his party and the country, the more he risks provoking a Liberal rebellion.
The Risks of Delaying Resignation
Nanos points out that the current polling numbers are dire for the Liberals. If the party were to hold an election based on these results, they would lose most of their 153 seats. The Trudeau government’s hold on parliament is precarious, with the three largest opposition parties promising to vote ‘no confidence’ if given the opportunity.
A Leadership Race and Its Consequences
A Liberal leadership race may take three months to run, during which time the party would be unable to smoothly transition to new leadership. Even if they are able to avoid a forced election during this period, the winner would have a relatively short period of time before being thrown into a national campaign.
Trudeau’s Political Wounds
Nanos believes that Trudeau is ‘politically wounded’ and may not be in a strong position to negotiate with Donald Trump. This could make it difficult for the party to ensure continuity in government, as Trudeau could resign but stay in office while a leadership race takes place.
A Difficult Road Ahead for the Liberal Party
The Liberal Party faces a tough road ahead, regardless of who becomes its new leader. Even with a major turnaround in public opinion, the party would need to perform significantly better than it has in recent elections just to save most of its seats, much less hold onto government.
A Brief History of the Liberals’ Struggles
The Liberal Party has dominated Canadian federal politics since the Second World War, but they have had their share of struggles. Their worst showing was in 2011, when they won only 19% of the popular vote and secured just 34 seats out of 308.
Can Trudeau Save the Liberals?
Justin Trudeau took the Liberal Party out of the wilderness in 2013, and it is unclear whether he will be able to return them there. As Nik Nanos pointed out, ‘It very well may be that he will return them to the political wilderness at the end of the next federal election.’
Conclusion
As the Liberal Party continues to struggle with its polling numbers and internal divisions, the question remains: when will Justin Trudeau finally address the nation? Will he step down before it’s too late, or will he wait until it’s too late and risk further damaging the party brand? Only time will tell.
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