An unprecedented 69 percent of Canadians say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should step down, according to a new survey. And while some have an opinion on who would be the best person to replace Trudeau as Liberal leader, most are unsure who it could be.
In the online Leger survey, nearly half of those polled—48 percent—said they don’t know who should replace Trudeau as the leader of the Liberal Party while 15 percent chose the generic “someone else” category.
Overall, this suggests that 63 percent of Canadians do not have a clear opinion on who should take the reins from Trudeau.
Fifteen percent of respondents chose Chrystia Freeland, who resigned as deputy prime minister and finance minister on Dec. 16, as the best person to replace Trudeau.
Freeland’s dramatic exit from cabinet was punctuated by a scathing resignation letter published on social media that openly condemned Trudeau’s policies. The letter also accused the prime minister of prioritizing “costly political gimmicks” over addressing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to slap a 25 percent tariff on all goods from Canada unless the country tightens border security to prevent the flow of migrants and illegal drugs into the United States.
Freeland’s departure has led to increased calls for Trudeau’s resignation among Liberal caucus members as well as from other party leaders and members of the public.
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Freeland was the only candidate proposed by Leger that had support in the double digits. The second choice of named candidates was former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney at 7 percent.
Carney, who has said a future run for the top Liberal spot is a possibility, is currently best known for his climate change activism and support of the carbon tax.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and new Finance Minister and former Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc each garnered 4 percent support. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister hours after Freeland stepped down, and his public safety portfolio was handed to David McGuinty in last week’s cabinet shuffle.
LeBlanc has also been tasked with addressing border security issues amid U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats. The longtime Liberal MP briefly considered a leadership bid in 2008.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and former B.C. Premier Christy Clark each received 3 percent support of survey respondents, while Transport Minister Anita Anand garnered 2 percent.
Voter Intentions
The Leger poll also recorded a notable rise in government dissatisfaction, with 72 percent of those surveyed expressing their discontent with the Trudeau administration.
Despite rising levels of dissatisfaction, the Liberals are faring much the same as they were before last week’s drama. Twenty percent of those polled said they intended to vote Liberal, a difference of only one point from the 21 percent reported in a Dec. 3 Leger poll.
“Voting intentions remain stable,” the poll said. “Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party is currently leading by 23 points, ahead of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party. If a federal election were held today, 43 percent of Canadians would vote for the Conservative Party of Canada.”
The NDP trails in third place with 19 percent support, according to the poll.
Poilievre remains the clear favourite for prime minister, with 31 percent of those polled saying he would be the best leader. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh came second with 13 percent while Trudeau garnered only 11 percent support. The Green Party’s Elizabeth May had 4 percent support while People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier had 3 percent. Five percent said they prefer a candidate who wasn’t named.
Seventeen percent of respondents weren’t happy with any of the candidates, 15 percent said they were unsure, and 2 percent declined to answer.
The survey of 1,521 Canadians over 18 was conducted between Dec. 20 and Dec. 22 through an online panel.
