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Canada’s Trudeau Is Losing Grip on Power as Allies Turn Against Him

Prime minister faces storm of criticism over his policies and unpopularity

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. PHOTO: SEAN KILPATRICK/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. PHOTO: SEAN KILPATRICK/ASSOCIATED PRESS

OTTAWA—Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s hold on power grew more tenuous Friday as the New Democratic Party, which has been propping up his minority government, said it was withdrawing its support.

A growing chorus of voices from within Trudeau’s own Liberal Party, including longtime allies, called on him to resign as he named a new cabinet days after the resignation of the finance minister. She stepped down because she disagreed with Trudeau’s spending proposals.

Trudeau will likely take the holiday break in December to consider his options, said a senior official.

Speaking to reporters briefly after a meeting with his revamped cabinet, Trudeau said the government’s focus is on preparing for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and potential repercussions from his trade policy. “We have a lot of work to do,” said Trudeau, without addressing reporters’ questions about his future.

“This government’s time is up,” said Jagmeet Singh, leader of the NDP, in announcing his party’s decision to abandon Trudeau and the Liberals.

The NDP, the Conservative Party and Bloc Québécois together have enough votes to pass a no-confidence motion against Trudeau when Parliament reconvenes in late January. Singh said the NDP would seek his ouster as soon as possible.

Trudeau has been under criticism from allies and opponents alike over recent decisions. Chrystia Freeland, who was the finance minister and deputy prime minister, said she left the cabinet because she thought Trudeau wasn’t taking adequate steps to prepare for a possible trade war with Washington.

Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada.

Voters blame Trudeau for rising costs and housing shortages that were aggravated by looser immigration policies.

Public-opinion polls over the past year and a half have consistently shown the Liberals are trailing the Conservative Party by 20 percentage points. One recent survey by the polling firm Abacus found more Canadians hold a favorable view of Trump than Trudeau.

The Liberal Party lawmaker Rob Oliphant, who called Trudeau a friend and lauded his leadership record, on Friday posted a letter on the social-media platform X, in which he urged Trudeau to step down.

Oliphant said voters in his Toronto-area district say they can’t vote for Trudeau again, and called on him “to relinquish the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada to a new leader elected through a robust, open leadership contest.”

In October, roughly two dozen Liberal lawmakers signed a letter calling on Trudeau to quit. At the time, Trudeau said he would carry on, and the Liberal caucus has no mechanism available to push the leader of the party out.

An election must be held no later than October of next year. It could happen earlier if the government is defeated in the legislature or if Trudeau calls a snap election.

Write to Vipal Monga at vipal.monga@wsj.com and Paul Vieira at Paul.Vieira@wsj.com

Author: Vipal Monga and Paul Vieira

Source: WSJ:

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