‘His time has come and gone’: 7 in 10 Canadians want Justin Trudeau to resign

A new poll has found that a majority of Canadians think it is time for Justin Trudeau to step down from his role as Prime Minister and the leader of the Liberal Party. Poll results released on Sunday also found that half of Canadians believe there will be elections next year.

The poll was conducted by Ipsos for Global News, and it found that more than two-thirds of the citizens or 69 per cent feel that Trudeau should resign. 

Given the high number, this may come as a surprise, but this is a three-point decrease from an earlier poll.

A similar poll conducted between November 14 and 17 suggested that 72 per cent of Canadians want the leader to resign. 

Ipsos CEO Darrell Bricker notes that the sentiment is not limited to those who never supported Trudeau; even past Liberal voters are expressing the view that his time has come and gone, citing a need for change.

“When you start poking away at it among people who actually say they voted for him or supported him in the past, their view is one or two things. One is his time has come and gone. He’s given a service, and it’s really Canada just needs a change, said Bricker, as quoted by Global News.

“And then there’s another group among his supporters that say, not this time, because I don’t think he can win, and we need to do whatever we can to stop Pierre Poilievre.”

Bricker highlighted that there was a regional unity in the consensus that Trudeau should step down. He said that it extends beyond traditional regions critical of the Liberals to include areas like Ontario and Quebec. 

“This time around, it just seems like people are either tired or they don’t think he’s got what it takes in order to be able to defeat his opponents,” Bricker said.

Despite the strong sentiment for his resignation — almost seven in 10 Canadians, 63 per cent of respondents believe it’s unlikely that Trudeau will step down. 

Previously, Trudeau, as per reports, has told his closest advisers that he is looking forward to fighting an election against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. He also said that he would not be true to himself if he quit as Liberal leader and prime minister.

The poll also indicates that Canadians are anticipating a potential election in 2024, with 59 per cent believing it is likely. Only 29 per cent express doubt about a 2024 election, while 13 per cent are uncertain. The Ipsos poll was conducted between December 8th and 11th, and 1000 Canadians aged 18 and over were interviewed.

(With inputs from agencies)