Matthew Jacula // The GriffThe tables are turning for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party with the Conservative Party’s recent win in the Toronto-St. Paul’s by-election. The conservatives won the seat, despite the riding being a Liberal stronghold. Now, Canadians’ frustration with the Liberal Party is getting harder to ignore.
It’s no secret that many Canadians have wanted Trudeau gone for quite some time now. The Government of Canada has failed to address Canadians’ concerns, but Trudeau seems to think that’s the least of his problems. Instead, he’s determined to stay as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party without making real change, regardless of what Canadians and his own party want. But with growing frustration directed at him, it seems that Trudeau will have to step-down. Even if he does, the Liberal Party will have to do a lot more to win over Canadians than just finding a new leader. We need to see action from our federal government on issues that are affecting the nation.
It’s been clear for some time that the Liberal Party has been struggling with its public image. In 2023, Nanos Research founder, Nik Nanos, claimed that the public image of the Liberal Party has weakened since Trudeau first became Prime Minister. Canadians have been voicing their dissatisfaction with the lack of progress on the cost-of-living, inflation, homelessness, and more for years now. They have not seen impactful action from the current government. The Liberal Party’s concerns about the recent by-election make it clear it’s aware of this. The party was anxious for the election and for good reason.
Not only do people want to see a change in the country — they want a change in leadership as well. Voters claimed that the by-election in Toronto was a referendum on Trudeau and that it’s time for change. He’s been prime minister for too long without much to show for it, and voters have had enough. Not to mention, Trudeau no longer has a “compelling narrative.” Meanwhile, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre’s campaign capitalizes on Canadians’ resentment of Trudeau and winning more people over. His campaign appeals to the nation’s problems and pushes Trudeau forward as the main cause of it. If things keep going on like this, it looks like Trudeau will run the Liberal Party into the ground.
The loss of the Toronto-St. Paul seat was significant and concerning for the Liberals. After the loss, Trudeau made a statement about hearing Canadians’ “concerns and frustrations.” Someone needs to tell Trudeau that just saying the right words does not mean we feel heard. His government needs to actually take tangible steps in addressing our issues.
Recently, Wayne Long, Liberal member of parliament (MP) of Saint John-Rothesay, called for Trudeau to resign in an email. He wrote that the Liberal Party needs a change in leadership “for the future of our party and for the good of our country.” Catherine McKenna, former cabinet minister of the Liberal Party, also expressed the need for a new leader. According to McKenna, the party needs “new ideas, new energy, and a new leader.” Both former and current Liberal Party members don’t believe their position in government is secure so long as Trudeau is the leader. They aren’t wrong. Canadians want change now. We’ve had enough with the lack of progress on the issues we care about.
Canadians have looked to the same leader for the past eight years, and they’ve only seen their issues get worse. The recent by-election shows that they’ve lost hope in Trudeau and instead favour Poilievre’s offer of change. Trudeau’s charisma is no longer winning voters over. Instead, what he hasn’t done as prime minister is driving them away. But a change in leadership for the Liberals will not be enough to fix Canadians’ problems. Like McKenna said, the party needs “new energy.” It has a long way to go besides a new leader.
