Canada's Trudeau faces crucial election test as questions over leadership loom
Canada's Trudeau faces crucial election test as questions over leadership loom
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's ruling Liberals, trailing badly in the polls, face a struggle on Monday to retain a once-safe seat in a special election where failure to win could boost calls for a new party leader.
The election in the Montreal parliamentary constituency of LaSalle—Emard—Verdun was called to replace a Liberal legislator who quit.
Normally Trudeau's party could count on an easy win there but surveys suggest the race is tight. If the Liberals lose, the focus will fall squarely on Trudeau, who has become increasingly unpopular after almost nine years in office.
Unusually, some Liberal legislators are breaking ranks to call for change at the top. Alexandra Mendes, a Liberal lawmaker who represents a Quebec constituency, said many of her constituents wanted Trudeau to go.
"I didn't hear it from two, three people - I heard it from dozens and dozens of people," she told public broadcaster Radio-Canada last week. "He's no longer the right leader."
I wouldn't be surprised if Trudeau is watching what happens with the American election and will base his decisions on that. There haven been some parallels drawn already.
Trudeau is a lot like Hillary in that people can't relate to him and he pushes very strongly for the status quo. He should watch the American election and notice that Biden stepping down was the best thing the Democrat party has done in the last 15 years.
Trudeau doesn't push strongly for the status quo, it's that people see him as synonymous with the status quo. He can push out some pretty radical policies and people would still blame him for the economy, woke-ism and whatever bogeyman is of the day.
The timing of Biden dropping out was very strategic to save Harris from getting dragged down by primaries, and leave RNC without much time to come up with an attack strategy. A Canadian election could be up to a year away, seems premature if that is indeed the plan.
That said I don't think there is a PM that could save the liberals much at this point (I don't think there is literally anything that could save them now) Freeland has pretty much the same baggage as Trudeau and Canadians vote more for party than for PM.
I think they know they’re going to get creamed this election, so Trudeau is hoping he can absorb the impact and let the party choose a new leader and rebuild.
I do wish they’d announce Trudeau won’t run for re-election, and announce a new leader post-election. Someone not from the inner circle so that they can give Canadians something to vote for instead of choosing who they’re voting against.
I think that's what annoys me most ... them knowing they're gonna lose with Trudeau at the helm, but barrelling onward anyway.
If he actually gave a shit about Canada he'd see the writing on the wall and gracefully cede his position instead of setting us up for another fucked up Con gov't (with the very real chance Harper would be pulling the strings).
Jfc. This SUCKS!
I'm honestly surprised he hasn't resigned as party leader and allowed another Liberal MP to take over.
Seems Trudeau is facing the same disapproval that Biden was weeks ago. Gotta wonder if he'll do anything about it.