Justin Trudeau has spoken out on the difficulties he regularly faces as Canada’s prime minister and how it has subsequently caused him to often consider his position.
Trudeau, who became leader of the Liberal Party in 2013, stepped into his role as prime minister in 2015 after a majority victory in the Canadian federal election. He has since been re-elected in the 2019 and 2021 elections but support for him has dramatically fallen as the last two elections wins were only minority triumphs.
Recent opinion polling data shows that the Canadian population is becoming frustrated with Trudeau’s government. Key reasons for this include the difficulty with purchasing affordable houses plus the nation’s cost of living issues.
The Liberal Party has struggled to keep pace with the Conservative Party in the recent polls, frequently suffering from double-digit deficits.
Pressure has increased on Trudeau with there being doubts over his leadership, causing there to be growing calls for him to no longer be Canada’s prime minister. Even some in close proximities to the 52-year-old have proposed that an exit could be wise.
A poll conducted by Global News a few months ago found that 69 percent of residents in Canada believe Trudeau should step down from his current role in 2024, ahead of the next election which is scheduled to take place before or on Oct. 20, 2025.
People’s reasoning’s for wanting Trudeau out are that a changing of the guard is necessary no matter who is the replacement.
On the other hand, supporters of the Liberal Party are not convinced by their current leader and want someone new in by the next election as they do not want to vote for the Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre, or the New Democratic Party fronted by Jagmeet Singh.
However, many also do not expect change in the Liberal Party as 63 percent of Canadians believe it is unlikely Trudeau will step down before the next election. Also, political experts say that a leadership race for the Liberal Party now would be a risky move as it would only lead to further divisions in the party and more questions would be asked on what the party truly stands for.
On the flipside, Trudeau remaining in power could lead to low voter turnout at the forthcoming election as there will be liberal voters who do not support the current leader but are unwilling to vote conservative or NDP.
During an interview with Radio-Canada released last week, Trudeau expressed his desire to stay on as prime minister despite the hardships that come with the role. He stated: “I could not be the man I am and abandon the fight at this point. I think about quitting every day. It’s a crazy job I’m doing, making the personal sacrifices.”
In 2023, Trudeau was in the public eye for more than political reasons as he and his wife of 18 years, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, announced that they had separated. The decision between the pair came after they had “meaningful and difficult conversations”.
When touching on why he became a politician, the 52-year-old said he did so “Not to be popular, not for personal reasons – because I want to serve, and I know I have something to offer.”
The Liberal Party leader, who plans to run at the next election, went on to add: “The choice that Canadians will make, in a year in the elections, will be so fundamental.”
Trudeau’s intention to run for the next election means he will have to go up against Poilievre as the main opposition, with the recent polling results suggesting that could be a tall order to overcome.
