Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to lose power early next year after key allies said on Friday they intend to oust the minority Liberal government and call an election.
New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, who has supported Trudeau's continued bid to remain prime minister, said he would table a formal no-confidence motion after the House of Commons returns from winter recess on January 27.
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If all opposition parties support the motion, Trudeau would step down after more than nine years as prime minister and a general election would be called.
A series of polls over the past year and a half have shown that the Liberal Party, beset by voter fatigue and anger over high prices and the housing crisis, will suffer a crushing loss to the official opposition centre-right Conservative Party. .
The New Democratic Party, which like the Liberals aims to appeal to centre-left voters, complains that Trudeau relies too much on big business.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at the Liberal Party caucus in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, December 16, 2024. (Reuters/Blair Gable/File photo)
“Regardless of who leads the Liberal Party, this government's time is up. We will table a clear motion of no confidence at the next sitting of the House of Commons,” Singh said.
The leader of the larger opposition Bloc Quebecois pledged to support the motion and said there was no scenario in which Trudeau would survive. The Conservative Party has been calling for an election for months.
Minutes after Singh released his letter, a smiling Trudeau presided over a cabinet reshuffle amid mounting pressure to resign following the surprise resignation of his finance minister this week.
Prime Minister Trudeau's office could not be reached for comment.
Votes on the budget and other spending are considered a measure of confidence. Additionally, the government must allocate several days in each session for opposition parties to introduce motions on any issue, including no-confidence motions.
Before Singh's announcement, a source close to Trudeau said the prime minister was planning to take Christmas break to reflect on his future and was unlikely to make any announcement before January.
Liberal leaders are chosen by party members at a special convention, which takes months to arrange.
Singh's promise to act quickly means that even if Trudeau were to resign now, the Liberals would not be able to find a new permanent leader before the next election. In that case, the party would have to elect an interim leader to contest the vote, something that has never been done in Canada.
So far, about 20 Liberal MPs have publicly called for Trudeau to resign, but his cabinet remains loyal.
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The timing of this crisis comes at a critical time, as US President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office on January 20th and has promised to impose a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada. This will cause a huge blow to the economy.
The premiers of the 10 provinces seeking a unified approach to tariffs are frustrated by what they call Ottawa's confusion.
