Justin Trudeau’s reluctant departure will leave his Liberal party in freefall
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His protracted refusal to quit as PM could even result in the demise of Canada’s ‘natural governing party’. Justin Trudeau’s decision to resign as prime minister has jolted his ailing Liberal party, kicking off a leadership race that could determine the future – or the demise – of Canada’s “natural governing party”.
On a frigid Monday morning, Trudeau said that while “every bone in my body tells me to fight”, a procedural standstill in parliament, as well as his dismal polling numbers, meant there was no path forward to contest a fourth term as leader. His decision to step away from a job he has held for nearly a decade comes as the party’s political fortunes are in freefall, suffering the loss of key political strongholds in recent byelections and the abdication of prominent cabinet ministers.
All opposition parties have vowed to bring down Trudeau’s minority government given the chance, and recent polling has the Liberals at 16% support, the party’s worst pre-election standing in more than a century. With eyes on the looming leadership contest, Trudeau’s dramatic reshaping of the Liberal party into a political entity tightly arrayed around its leader – and one with no heir apparent – offers a glimpse into the challenge prospective candidates face in vying for the top job and the damage the prime minister has done in delaying that process.
All politicians seek out allies for advice and support, but Trudeau’s decision to surround himself with close friends within his inner circle was unusual and probably played a role in convincing him he could contest the next election effectively even when public opinion suggested otherwise, said Lori Turnbull, the director of Dalhousie University’s school of public administration. A number of ministers were at his wedding party and the current finance minister is his former babysitter.
