Mounting dissatisfaction. Declining support. Internal doubts creeping in from within his own party. With inflation out of control, housing costs skyrocketing, and Trudeau backtracking on climate commitments, the wheels seem to be coming off Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government.
His poll numbers are tanking faster than a brick in the Ottawa River, and barbarians are at the gates, looking for Trudeau and calling for an end to his reign.
Many are now wondering if there could be other viable candidates to ultimately replace him.
Is Justin Trudeau’s grip on power in Canada finally starting to slip? And could there be other candidates from his own party vying for a chance at leadership?
Find out in today’s video.
Trudeau’s poll numbers are in free fall as Canadians grow increasingly frustrated with Trudeau’s economic mismanagement and failure to address major crises.
It seems that the prime minister’s standing has weakened even among his own party, and many are wondering whether his days in power may be numbered.
More importantly, many are wondering whether a new Liberal leader could actually garner enough support to replace Trudeau.
Lately, some well known Liberals have been hunting at the possibility of that actually happening.
Senator Downe, who worked under former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, argued the only way for the Liberals to defeat Poilievre in 2025 is if Trudeau resigns.
After making those initial comments, Downe also stated in later interviews that many Liberal members of parliament privately agreed with him about Trudeau needing to resign. However, no Liberal MP currently in office has publicly asked for Trudeau to step down yet.
However, there has been speculation in the media that Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England, could throw his hat in the ring as a potential contender to challenge Trudeau’s leadership.
Carney’s name has been floated as someone who could emerge as an alternative to Trudeau, if the current PM’s disastrous poll numbers don’t rebound.
According to the Toronto Star, a group of Liberal Party insiders held a conference call where they discussed the idea of Mark Carney replacing Justin Trudeau as party leader, with the idea floating around as far back as 2019.
The Star reported that Carney’s name came up during the call with Liberal “backroom players” as a potential successor if Trudeau falters in the election. The newspaper noted this isn’t the first time a faction of Liberals has tried recruiting Carney, a similar effort was made back in 2012 when he was Bank of Canada governor.
Some analysts view Carney as a credible rival who could garner support, given his economic credentials and track record in major leadership roles.
For someone with an economic background, it’s not far-fetched to think that he could lead Canada away from the ongoing housing crisis and skyrocketing prices.
While Carney hasn’t indicated any intention to run, he also hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of him running, either.
However, other analysts have also said that it’s highly unlikely that Carney could just step in as leader of the Liberal Party and win the next election.
Even though politics isn’t as complex as central banking, which is his field of speciality, there’s still a brutally difficult learning curve.
Michael Ignatieff found that out when he took over the Liberals and led them to a crushing defeat, nearly destroying the party. Carney could face the same massive challenge adjusting to the political arena. So realistically, he couldn’t just swoop in and seamlessly take the reins from Trudeau.
Especially with Poilievre as Leader of the Opposition, who has been an MP for over 20 years, and is a witty, politically-savvy character who has amassed a large amount of support, it might be difficult for Carney to prove his points against him.
In a previous exchange between the two of the Financial Post, we got a little taste of what it could be like if the two actually went head-to-head.
When discussing pipelines, the two butted heads regarding their opposing policies. While it’s definitely a possibility that Carney will be able to hold his own against Poilievre, it remains unclear whether he will actually be able to win against him in a federal election, with general support for the entire Liberal party going down.
Carney could be a unifying leader for the Liberal Party if given the chance. His support for free trade and market economics could appeal to market liberals and former conservative voters. Meanwhile his progressive stances on social services, corporate accountability, and climate policy could win over centrists and some left-leaning voters.
Also, since he’s not tied to Trudeau’s cabinet, Carney would have a clean slate to rebrand the party, which they desperately need.
The fact that he’s been speaking at Liberal conventions and publishing opinion pieces makes you wonder if he’s positioning himself for a potential leadership bid.
This could happen if the Liberals lose the election or if Trudeau resigns before 2025.
Among other Liberals considering potential leadership bids is Mélanie Joly, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Joly has a more extensive political background than some may realize. She first emerged as a student activist leader, then made waves as a surprise mayoral candidate who nearly took control of Montreal – one of Canada’s largest cities. After that breakthrough, Joly entered federal politics, steadily building up her experience over time. Now, as Foreign Minister, she represents Canada on the highest global stage.
Despite her meteoric rise to a senior cabinet role, if Joly has ambitions of one day becoming Prime Minister herself, she is keeping them tightly guarded. “Right now, my focus is not only becoming a good foreign minister, but also becoming a mom,” Joly recently said in an interview when asked about any leadership aspirations.
Joly has long been a close ally of Trudeau’s. However, she may not seem like the most obvious choice to lead the Liberals into the future. But then again, neither did Trudeau when he took over the party back in 2013. At that time, many dismissed him as too inexperienced and unready to be Prime Minister, regardless of his famous political lineage.
On the other hand, many could criticize Joly merely for her association to Trudeau, and how the very Trudeau policies that many Canadians opposed are ones that Joly wholeheartedly supported.
Joly has also been under fire for many of the same things Trudeua has been criticized for, such as strained relations with India, and foreign elections interference.
She was recently caught in a heated exchange with conservative MP Michael Cooper.
If anything will hurt her chances to gain support as prime minister, it will most likely be her support for Trudeau’s policies.
Another potential leadership contender for the Liberals is Chrystia Freeland, the current Deputy Prime Minister.
The role of deputy PM was originally created by Justin Trudeau’s father, former PM Pierre Trudeau, back in 1977. It was mainly intended to honor Allan MacEachen, a formidable parliamentarian and minister from Nova Scotia.
As Deputy Prime Minister, Freeland is one of the strongest candidates for stepping up in Trudeau’s place. As a loyalist, Freeland has taken on tough cabinet positions which has only padded her credentials for taking on the role of PM.
However, her close association with the increasingly unpopular Trudeau could prove to be her Achilles heel. With support for both Trudeau and the Liberal Party as a whole significantly declining, Freeland may struggle to disassociate herself from the current administration’s failures. Her ties to the flailing Trudeau brand could drag her down if she pursues the Prime Minister’s office herself.
While on paper Freeland seems like a strong potential successor, the sinking Liberal ship under Trudeau’s leadership threatens to swallow her ambitions as well. She would face the difficult task of convincing voters she represents real change, rather than just a continuation of the controversial and ineffective Trudeau era.
On the other hand, Trudeau has made it clear he’s not planning on stepping down or handing over the reins. He insists he’ll be leading the Liberal party in the next election, whether his critics like it or not, stating: “The next election isn’t for another two years. I’m going to keep doing my job.”
And to be frank, it seems Trudeau hasn’t been doing his job adequately enough lately. His leadership has been plagued by missteps and controversies, leading to sinking approval ratings. All signs point to the public being ready for a change.
An election is on the horizon whether Trudeau likes it or not. And the numbers right now are decidedly not in his favor. Public sentiment has clearly turned against him.
Trudeau will soon have to face the music and confront the hard truth that Canadians may no longer want him as Prime Minister, and may actually get behind a newer, fresher Liberal replacement.
