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Canadian PM Trudeau is facing widespread unpopularity and calls to step down as his last ally NDP said it will vote to bring the Liberal government down.
Canadian PM Trudeau is hanging by a thread as a growing number of MPs have called on him to step down. (Reuters)
Amid widespread calls for resignation and discontent from Canadians and his own Liberal Party, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday reshuffled his Cabinet, adding eight new MPs and re-assigning four existing MPs, in a last-ditch attempt to appease Liberal MPs to stem the damage caused by two shocking resignations.
Eight new ministers were sworn in and four other existing cabinet members were reassigned at a ceremony at Ottawa’s Rideau Hall on Friday. The reshuffle came after the resignations of deputy PM Chrystia Freeland and Liberal MP Sean Fraser, dealing two major blows to Trudeau’s government.
David McGuinty was appointed as the public safety minister, Élisabeth Brière as the new national revenue minister, Terry Duiguid as the sports minister, Nate Erskine-Smith as the new housing minister, Darren Fisher as the new veterans affairs minister, Ruby Sahota as the new democratic institutions minister, Joanne Thompson as the new seniors minister and Rachel Bendayan as the new official languages minister, according to Canada’s Global News.
Additionally, transport minister Anita Anand will take on internal trade. Gary Anandasangaree, the minister of Crown-Indigenous relations and northern affairs, will take on the responsibility of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon will now also take over the portfolio of employment and workforce development, while the outgoing veterans affairs minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor has been appointed as the President of the Treasury Board.
Why Did Trudeau Reshuffle His Cabinet?
Trudeau is facing rising discontent over his leadership amid economic and diplomatic troubles, and the abrupt departure of his finance minister may have dealt a shattering blow that his government may not recover from. This cabinet reshuffle was a chance to appease some disgruntled MPs by offering them cabinet positions.
Six cabinet ministers, Sean Fraser, Pablo Rodriguez, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Carla Qualtrough, Filomena Tassi and Dan Vandal, have already decided not to run for the next election, and Freeland’s departure means that there were eight cabinet spots to fill. Another MP had to resign over a scandal related to indigenous ancestry claims and business dealings last month.
Trudeau, who has led the country for nearly a decade, has become widely unpopular in recent years over a wide range of issues, including the high cost of living and rising inflation. The situation worsened when Freeland resigned over differences stemming from US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs, and around 60 Liberal MPs have called on Trudeau to resign.
According to an Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News and released this week, Trudeau’s personal popularity has gone down five percentage points, with only 23 per cent overall saying they think he deserves re-election, and 77 per cent saying they think it’s time for a new party to take over.
Trudeau’s Ally NDP Says It Will Bring Govt Down
In another debilitating blow to the Liberal government, Jagmeet Singh on Friday said his New Democratic Party (NDP) will vote to bring down the government and “give Canadians a chance to vote for a government who will work for them”, possibly triggering a new election.
In a letter addressed to Canadians, Jagmeet Singh said Trudeau “failed in the biggest job a Prime Minister has: to work for people, not the powerful.” He further said the Liberals “don’t deserve another chance”.
Jagmeet Singh’s decision may come as a death blow for Trudeau’s government, as the NDP was the only pillar of support for the Prime Minister to rely on to stay in power. As Trudeau’s Liberals don’t have an outright majority in the Parliament, they have relied on the NDP for years to cling on to power.
Meanwhile, the opposition Bloc Quebecois, which also saved Trudeau’s government from a confidence vote, has already demanded an immediate election in the face of US-President elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats.