Within moments of getting promoted to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, eight new ministers were already facing questions about the future of their government and leader.
Driving the news: This week, the federal government lost Chrystia Freeland and Sean Fraser, two of the Liberal party’s most prominent ministers, as well as the support of the NDP, which would have likely kept them in power until the next election in October 2025.
- Trudeau is reportedly considering stepping down but has not signalled that it would happen anytime soon. This is an attempt to inject some stability for the short term.
Why it matters: If NDP leader Jagmeet Singh delivers on his new commitment to “bring this government down” in the New Year, Canadian voters will likely head to the polls much earlier than planned — making way for a Conservative majority if recent polls are to be believed.
- Trudeau could delay a no-confidence vote by proroguing parliament, which would pause the government and is sometimes used to buy time during a political crisis.
Big picture: The stakes are high and will continue growing into 2025 as the threat of 25% tariffs on Canadian-made goods imposed by president-elect Donald Trump looms, and federal and provincial leaders can’t seem to agree on the right way to respond.—SB