Trudeau To Shuffle Cabinet Today Amid Resignation Calls Over Rising Discontent

Toronto: Embattled Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will shuffle his Cabinet Friday, a senior official familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The official confirmed the shuffle and spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly on the matter.

Trudeau is facing rising discontent over his leadership, and the abrupt departure of his finance minister on Monday could be something he can't recover from.

A rising number of Liberal lawmakers are calling on Trudeau to resign but new Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Thursday Trudeau has “full support of his Cabinet." LeBlanc said he respects the views of Liberal Members of Parliament who want Trudeau to resign.

“That's a view they are expressing. The prime minister listened carefully when that view was expressed to him,” LeBlanc said. “He listened, in some cases responded to specific things that were raised, and he said he would reflect carefully.” LeBlanc said the government will remain focused on work and addressing the threat by President-elect Donald Trump to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian products when he is inaugurated next month.

Trudeau has led the country for nearly a decade, but has become widely unpopular in recent years over a wide range of issues, including the high cost of living and rising inflation.

There is no mechanism for Trudeau's party to force him out in the short-term. He could resign, or his Liberal party could be forced from power by a “no confidence” vote in Parliament that would trigger an election that would very likely favour the opposing Conservative Party.

As rising numbers of Liberal lawmakers called Tuesday for Trudeau to resign, the country's minister of natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, said “we all need to give him a little time to reflect.” Concerns about Trudeau's leadership were exacerbated Monday when Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau's finance and deputy prime minister, resigned from the Cabinet. Freeland was highly critical of Trudeau's handling of the economy in the face of steep tariffs threatened by Trump. Shortly before Freeland announced her decision, the country's housing minister also quit.

Because Trudeau's Liberals don't hold an outright majority in the Parliament, they have for years depended on the support of the leftist New Democratic Party to pass legislation and stay in power. But that support has all but vanished — the NDP's leader has called on Trudeau to resign — and that might clear the way for Parliament to vote “no confidence.” NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, however, would not commit to bringing down the government at the first opportunity in part because Trump could impose crippling tariffs and Parliament might need to respond with tariffs in retaliation.

Parliament is now shut for the holidays until late next month, and a “no confidence” vote could be scheduled sometime thereafter.