Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau On Friday, he appeared likely to lose power early next year after a key ally said he would move to topple the minority Liberal government and trigger an election.
The new leader of the Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singhwho has helped keep Trudeau in power, said he would table a formal vote of no confidence after the elected chamber of the House of Commons returns from a winter break on January 27.
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If all opposition parties support the motion, Trudeau will resign after more than nine years as prime minister and elections will take place.
A series of polls over the past 18 months show that the Liberals, suffering from voter fatigue and anger over high prices and a housing crisis, would be badly defeated by the official opposition right-of-center Conservatives.
The New Democrats, who like the Liberals want to gain the support of center-left voters, complain that Trudeau is too tied to big business.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses the Liberal Party caucus meeting in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on December 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo)
“No matter who leads the Liberal Party, this government’s time is up. We will table a clear no-confidence motion in the next session of the House of Commons,” Singh said.
The leader of the Bloc Quebecois, a larger opposition party, pledged to support the motion and said there was no scenario in which Trudeau would survive. The Conservatives have been calling for elections for months.
Minutes after Singh issued his letter, a smiling Trudeau, under mounting pressure to quit following the shock resignation of his finance minister this week, presided over a cabinet reshuffle.
Trudeau’s office could not immediately be reached for comment.
Voting on budgets and other expenditures are considered confidence measures. Moreover, the government should allocate a few days each session for opposition parties to table motions on any issue, including no-confidence.
Before Singh made his announcement, a source close to Trudeau said the prime minister would take the Christmas break to consider his future and was unlikely to make an announcement before January.
Liberal leaders are elected through special congresses of party members, which take months to complete.
Singh’s pledge to act quickly means that even if Trudeau were to resign now, the Liberals would not be able to find a new permanent leader in time for the next election. The party would then have to contest the vote with an interim leader, which has never happened before in Canada.
So far, about 20 Liberal lawmakers are openly calling for Trudeau’s resignation, but his cabinet has remained loyal.
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The timing of the crisis comes at a critical time, as newly elected US President Donald Trump takes office on January 20 and promises to impose a 25% tariff on all import from Canadawhich would seriously damage the economy.
The premiers of the 10 provinces, who want to create a unified approach to tariffs, complain about what they call the chaos in Ottawa.
