Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rebuffed the idea of stepping down amid slumping poll numbers and the rise of the country’s opposition Conservatives.
During a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, when asked whether he would resign as his party’s leader, Trudeau told reporters he had more work to do.
“The next elections are two years away. I’m continuing to do my job. There’s a lot of important work to do, to deliver for Canadians in these difficult moments. I remain enthusiastic and relentless with regards to this work,” he said, speaking in French.
Trudeau led the Liberal Party to victory in 2015’s federal elections, ending nearly a decade of Conservative-led governments. But he has since seen his support slip amid growing frustrations over high inflation, soaring housing costs and other issues.
An Abacus Data poll from late August found that 56 percent of Canadians believed Trudeau should step down and let someone else lead the party, compared with 27 percent who said he should run again.
The Angus Reid Institute, another Canadian research firm, put Trudeau’s disapproval rating this month at 63 percent.
Trudeau announced a major cabinet shuffle in July amid drooping support [File: Blair Gable/Reuters]
The findings come as the right-wing Conservative Party of Canada has seen a jump in support under its new leader Pierre Poilievre, a populist career politician who took over the helm of the party in September of last year.
Abacus Data said last week that a recent national survey showed public perceptions of Poilievre were improving, while the Conservatives had 40 percent support among voters compared with 26 percent for the Liberals.
That is the Conservative Party’s largest lead over the Liberals since the 2015 election, the firm said. “The primary driver, in our view, is the negative impression people have of the Liberal government and Prime Minister Trudeau,” it added.
The drop in support for Trudeau has been a focus of Canadian media reports ahead of a Liberal Party caucus retreat this week.
Several Liberal parliament members told the public broadcaster CBC News — on condition of anonymity — that “they don’t feel the prime minister listens to their views or solicits their advice”.
Others have called on the government to better communicate its policies amid relentless attacks from Poilievre, who has blamed Trudeau for the country’s ills.
“Did any prime minister ever inherit a richer legacy? Did any prime minister ever squander it so thoroughly?” Poilievre said during a speech at a Conservative Party convention last weekend, referring to Trudeau’s takeover from his predecessor, Conservative Stephen Harper.
“After eight years, Justin Trudeau is not worth the cost and he is not worth the country that we know and love,” he said to raucous applause.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre frequently hits out at Trudeau and the Liberals [Blair Gable/Reuters]
Immigration Minister Marc Miller told the CBC this week that Liberals are unsure how to respond to Poilievre.
“There’s a tension as to how to engage … whether you fight fire with fire and bring yourself down to a level of politics that you yourself have sworn to your electors you would never engage,” Miller said.
“There is a struggle and attention generally as to how to deal with a person like that, that Canadian politics, in particular, hasn’t seen much of.”
On Wednesday, Trudeau sought to focus on the issues before he joined the Liberal retreat in London, Ontario, calling on Canadian cities to do more to address a housing crisis and pledging federal government support.
“We have two good days of conversations [ahead] with the deputies, in which we’ll have very frank conversations,” the prime minister told reporters in French when pressed again on when a party leader should step down.
“But I can tell you that the team is ready to confront all the challenges we face as a country,” said Trudeau, pointing to rising costs of living and housing. “There’s work to do, and we’re staying focused on that.”
The next Canadian federal election is scheduled for October 2025, but Trudeau could trigger a snap vote before then.
MONTREAL – Quebec’s ombudsperson is warning that public services are becoming “dehumanized” in the province amid a rise in demand for them.
Marc-André Dowd released his annual report today, which highlights several examples of people receiving inadequate care across the health network in the 12 months leading to March 31.
One dying man who lived alone was denied help cleaning his cat’s litter box by his local health clinic, a service Dowd says should have been given for “humanitarian reasons.”
Dowd also describes staff at a long-term care home feeding residents “mechanically” and talking among each other — despite health ministry guidelines directing staff to maintain eye contact with residents.
The ombudsperson says his office received a record number of problems to investigate across the province’s public services — 24,867 compared with 22,053 last year.
He says his office investigated 13,358 cases between April 2023 and March of this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
OTTAWA – French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Canada next week after a planned trip in July was cancelled amid political turmoil in France.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a statement today that Macron will be in Canada Wednesday and Thursday after the leaders attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Trudeau will welcome Macron in Ottawa on Wednesday, where they are expected to discuss collaboration on geopolitical issues including their ongoing support for Ukraine.
They are also expected to discuss ways to strengthen the response to emerging threats, such as disinformation.
In Montreal, Trudeau intends to show off the city’s artificial intelligence sector, while both countries reaffirm their commitment to work with counterparts on responsible use of AI.
The leaders will also discuss promoting the French language ahead of the Francophonie summit being held in France next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Health Canada has authorized Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.
The protein-based vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been reformulated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron.
It will replace the previous version of the vaccine, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.
Health Canada recently asked provinces and territories to get rid of their older COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the most current vaccine will be used during this fall’s respiratory virus season.
Earlier this week, Health Canada approved Moderna’s updated mRNA COVID vaccine.
It is still reviewing Pfizer’s updated mRNA vaccine, with a decision expected soon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version erroneously described the Novavax vaccine as an mRNA shot.
