Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s position has become increasingly vulnerable, with nearly a third of his MPs reportedly calling for his resignation, according to a new report.
Trudeau has faced mounting challenges since September when Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party (NDP) withdrew its support. The situation worsened last week with the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, intensifying calls from within Trudeau’s Liberal Party for him to step down.
CBC News reports that at least 51 Liberal MPs have now joined the growing dissent, urging Trudeau’s resignation. Of the 75 Liberal MPs from Ontario, 51 participated in a virtual meeting over the weekend, during which they unanimously agreed that Trudeau should resign.
Since Freeland’s resignation, there have been rumors that Trudeau is considering either stepping down or proroguing Parliament to call for snap elections. Canada’s next scheduled election is in October 2025, but Trudeau might opt for an earlier election to avoid the embarrassment of being ousted by his own MPs.
Trudeau, who has been Canada’s Prime Minister since 2015, currently faces widespread unpopularity. Recent Ipsos polls show Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Party’s candidate, leading Trudeau by 25 percentage points.
The MPs who attended the weekend meeting tasked Ontario caucus chair Michael Coteau with delivering the message to Trudeau and his office. While they have called for Trudeau’s resignation, they have not set a formal deadline for his departure.
There is also growing support among some MPs to replace Trudeau with Freeland as the Liberal Party leader. Following her resignation, MPs Sean Casey and Chandra Arya have expressed support for Freeland as a credible alternative to Trudeau.
The revolt has been especially prominent in Ontario, Canada’s largest province. Ontario holds 121 of the 337 seats in the Canadian Parliament, and the Liberals currently hold 75 of those. With the NDP withdrawing support, Trudeau is now leading a minority government, with the Liberals holding 153 seats, 16 short of a majority.
