Politics

Trailing in Polls by Double Digits Justin Trudeau is Running Out of Time

Published

5 months ago

2024-06-01

Justin Trudeau is running out of time: CTN Image

Justin Trudeau is running out of time, according to Politico, he is losing ground in the polls despite his best efforts to turn around the Liberal Party of Canada and his public persona. He has been trailing in polls by double digits for nearly a year.

The future for the once-popular prime minister is so bleak that even old guard Liberals have suggested he resign and give someone else a chance. Trudeau has less than 17 months until he must hold an election against a resurgent Conservative Party and its firebrand populist leader, Pierre Poilievre.

The problem is that nothing he’s done to boost his standing among Canadians has worked.

“The Liberals have tried to basically throw the political kitchen sink at the Conservatives to find a way to narrow the gap,” said Nik Nanos, one of the country’s leading pollsters.

Trudeau’s issues are similar to those of President Joe Biden and certain Western European leaders dealing with populist rage in a world still fighting to recover from inflation and lingering anger over pandemic lockdowns.

The G7’s longest-serving leader also faces some unique challenges, including disenchantment with the Liberal Party after three mandates and a string of scandals that have harmed Trudeau’s reputation. Quito Maggi, a pollster with Mainstreet Research, believes that many Canadians have simply tuned out the prime minister.

“It’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t scenario for Trudeau because it almost doesn’t matter what he does or says right now,” Maggi stated. “No one is listening. It’s not the message, but the messenger.

Rumors of Trudeau Resigning

Trudeau’s efforts have included arranging visits to Canada for Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who earned a standing ovation in Parliament. “None of these things have changed the trend,” Nanos stated.

At this moment, talk about Trudeau’s resignation is just that – neither the prime minister nor any of his aides or allies have stated that he intends to stand aside.

But the moment he says he’s leaving, he becomes a lame duck and the leadership competition begins — so it’s in his best advantage to wait as long as possible before saying anything else.

Some believe the window for that choice is dwindling, with only a month or two remaining. Otherwise, a new leader would not have enough time to prepare for the impending election, which might occur any time before the fall of 2025.

Interviewers grill Trudeau on whether he actually intends to stay at the helm when the ship sinks. Nonetheless, he asserts at every opportunity that he intends to stay the course.

“The stakes are so high, and the moment is so real,” Trudeau explained on the “Freakonomics Radio” podcast.
Spoiling for a battle

If anything, the prime minister appears encouraged by the impending clash with Poilievre, who has harnessed and fueled political dissatisfaction by telling Canadians that their country is “broken” and it’s all Trudeau’s fault.

In a talk-show appearance earlier this year, Trudeau framed the next election as a war against “easy populism, anger, and division that is so running rampant in every society around the world.”

“I could not be the person I am and choose to step away from this fight right now.”

Poilievre Flying in the Polls

Trudeau’s political origin tale revolves around the outcome of a boxing fight in 2012, in which he exceeded expectations by defeating a muscular senator in the ring. Ask any Liberal in Canada, even the most depressed, and they’ll tell you he performs better when he’s under pressure.

And he is eager to face off against his competitor, which appears to delight his inner pugilist.

Poilievre, a populist attack dog leader who is flying in the polls, represents the very politics and principles that Trudeau hates.

“Here’s someone who really, really cranks [Trudeau’s] gears, that he believes he can defeat,” said a former top Liberal who requested anonymity to talk freely. “He sees someone who’s actively going to undo everything he’s tried to achieve.”

Trudeau and his party attempted to link Poilievre to Trump by citing similarities in their rhetorical style and political playbooks, and pounced after Poilievre received an endorsement from conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

The slogan-per-minute Conservative warriors have spent the past year successfully making the Liberal government a punching bag for its confusing carbon tax and a nationwide housing crisis that has afflicted the same voters who first swept Trudeau into power.

Poilievre’s Conservatives harass, goad, and taunt the Liberals to call an early election, as well as take shots at anyone they believe could be the next in line for Trudeau’s role as Liberal Party leader.

Trudeau Leadership

Proposed Leadership Review

If the previous, more centrist Conservative leader, Erin O’Toole, had not been fired following the last election, Trudeau might have been more willing to call it quits, according to the former top Liberal.

For months, the country’s political elite have speculated about who could succeed Trudeau, with establishment Liberals even saying the quiet part aloud.

Sen. Percy Downe, a former senior aide to former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, called on Trudeau to resign last year, a statement that landed hard. Former finance minister John Manley likened Trudeau’s tenure to that of Seinfeld: a brilliant program for nine seasons but unable to secure a tenth.

Earlier this year, a lesser-known MP, Ken McDonald, broke ranks and proposed a leadership review, casting doubt on internal trust in Trudeau

There is no obvious successor to the leader who propelled his party from third to first place in the 2015 federal election, making switching horses a risky proposition.

“[Trudeau’s] group has completely stifled any kind of nurturing of that sort and not tolerated any dissent,” Maggi stated.

Potential replacements keep coming up in news coverage amid frenetic conjecture, but for a party historically known for its infighting, no one has tried to push him over the edge.

“Back in 2015, when he took over the party, [Trudeau] changed the party to more of a movement,” Nanos stated. “It’s hard to see a scenario where there would be a public dump-Trudeau movement.”

Mark Carney a Favorite

Mark Carney in the Running

Big personalities in the Liberal camp are interested in the top position, but none have the whole set of x-factors that made Trudeau’s candidacy so compelling: celebrity status, narrative arc, political dynasty, and top-tier retail politics game — the rizz.

“It’s not like, oh, boom, if Trudeau is replaced by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, it’ll be neck and neck. “It’s not working that way right now,” said Maggi, one of the pollsters who surveyed the public about prospective alternatives.

But someone will have to take Trudeau’s place at some point.

Freeland has the most name recognition among the group, but the Conservatives, hoping to win points in parliamentary discussions, have positioned Mark Carney, a former central banker in both Canada and the United Kingdom, as the next in line after Trudeau.

Trudeau’s close buddy, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who supported his leadership run in 2013 and has recently returned to work after having a leave of absence due to a rare cancer, is the latest name to circulate in the city.

However, in the lack of signs of significant organization, much of the discussion appears to be speculative and ill-conceived.
Pressure is on.

Trudeau has spent the last year trying to dig himself out of his hole.

He hired a new advertising expert who is familiar with millennials and Generation Z, two critical populations he has to draw into his party’s fold if he wants to stand a chance.

Trudeau recently pulled up his sleeves and traveled across the country for an extraordinary, weeks-long campaign-style unveiling of a significant spending proposal focused squarely at those two categories and their financial struggles.

ABACUS Poll

The needle is still not moving

That has led him on a unique tour of the podcast circuit, looking for long-form interviews where he can explain himself and sell his tax-and-spend budget in a more relaxed setting than the hardball scrums with reporters outside Parliament.

He still has alternatives for attempting to reset the standings: shake up his Cabinet and top staff, change direction on spending measures, and launch a barrage of attack advertising.

According to Spark Advocacy pollster Bruce Anderson, those who are tired of Trudeau and gravitate toward his opponent are not stuck in their ways.

“I see the market as being unsettled,” he stated. “According to our polling, many people want a less-right alternative to Poilievre and a less-left alternative to Justin Trudeau. This is one of the challenges that I believe his progressive agenda has created for him and his party over time.

Trudeau’s plight will only worsen in the fall if his support rating does not improve, financing dwindles, his caucus fractures, and more parliamentarians announce that they will not run again.

“If the Liberal Party found itself in a situation a year from now, when it was 25 points behind in the polls, do I believe they would get together in caucus on a Wednesday and say, ‘Yeah, let’s just keep going in this direction’? That is not how I believe the chemistry of politics works.

Source: Politico

Geoff Thomas

Geoffrey Thomas is a seasoned staff writer at VORNews, a reputable online publication. With his sharp writing skills and deep understanding of SEO, he consistently delivers high-quality, engaging content that resonates with readers. Thomas' articles are well-researched, informative, and written in a clear, concise style that keeps audiences hooked. His ability to craft compelling narratives while seamlessly incorporating relevant keywords has made him a valuable asset to the VORNews team.

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Politics

Trudeau Liberals in Panic Mode Over Trump Presidency

Published

43 mins ago

2024-11-08

Geoff Thomas

Trump called Trudeau "dishonest and weak" after Trudeau said Canada would retaliate on new U.S. tariffs.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday that he is re-establishing a special Cabinet committee on Canada-US ties to address Liberal concerns about another Donald Trump administration.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, the country’s finance minister, will chair the group, including the foreign affairs, public safety, and industry ministries.

“Following President Donald Trump’s election for a second term, the Cabinet Committee will focus on critical Canada-U.S. issues,” Trudeau’s office said in a statement Thursday.

During Trump’s first term, Canada saw his move to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and claimed that he was considering a 25% tariff on the car sector as an existential danger.

Trudeau contacted Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him, and the two talked about the new free trade agreement he signed with Canada and Mexico during his first term, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced NAFTA.

Although Trump dubbed Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest” during his first term, relations between the two countries have remained strong under Biden’s government.

Trudeau and his Rhetoric

However, after four years of anti-MEGA rhetoric and using Trump as a political scapegoat, Trump’s administration has confirmed Trudeau’s worst concerns. During the last election campaign, Trump advocated 10% to 20% tariffs on imported goods, and in certain rallies, he indicated much larger percentages.

According to the AP reports, Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, believes Canada could expect further levies and pressure to increase its military spending.

According to NATO estimates, Canada will spend 1.33% of GDP on its military budget in 2023, less than the 2% target that NATO countries set for themselves.

Trudeau stated that Canada would fulfill the alliance’s aim by 2032. Trump has asked NATO allies to increase their defense spending to reduce the United States burden and deter the alliance’s adversaries.

“I expect that the free trade deal will be slightly modified as it was during Trump’s first presidency and not dramatically,” according to Wiseman.

“Tariffs will harm the Canadian economy but not cripple it. Countervailing tariffs, the concerns of American business leaders, and Canada’s storehouse of key minerals are all factors to consider during negotiations.

Canada’s border trade

The Canadian government emphasizes that the United States and Canada are each other’s top trading partners, with approximately $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) in products and services crossing the border daily in 2023.

There is strong cooperation in defense, border security, and law enforcement, as well as a significant overlap in culture, traditions, and pastimes, such as shared baseball, hockey, basketball, and soccer leagues. Approximately 400,000 individuals cross the world’s longest international border daily, while an estimated 800,000 Canadians live in the United States.

Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international affairs at the University of Toronto, believes Canadians should be concerned about possibly aggressive tariff and trade policies.

“How would you feel if old Uncle Donald was feeling whimsical one morning and decided to do … oh, whatever he’d just heard on Fox News?” Bothwell stated.

Past Trump Rhetoric By Trudeau May Hurt Canadians

Past Trump Rhetoric By Trudeau May Hurt Canadians

Geoff Thomas

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Politics

Hamas Calls for Peace After Trump Wins Election

Published

2 hours ago

2024-11-08

Geoff Thomas

Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority, congratulated Trump on his election victory

After former President Donald Trump’s election victory, a senior Hamas official issued a statement in which he called for the immediate cessation of Israel’s war against the group in Gaza and a strategy to achieve Palestinian statehood.

“The election of Trump as the 47th president of the USA is a private matter for the Americans,” the political bureau member and spokesperson for Hamas, Basem Naim, told The Washington Post.

Palestinians look forward to an immediate cessation of the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza, and look for assistance in achieving their legitimate rights of freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent self-sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

“The blind support for the Zionist entity ‘Israel’ and its fascist government, at the expense of the future of our people and the security and stability of the region, must stop immediately,” according to him.

During his tenure in office, Trump developed a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently involved in a multi-front war against the Iran-aligned Axis of Resistance. This conflict commenced with a large-scale Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023.

An Israeli official informed Newsweek that “the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel has been a bipartisan feature of American politics since the founding of the Jewish state” when contacted for comment.

Netanyahu congratulates Trump

The Israeli official stated, “We are certain that this will persist.” “Going forward, we look forward to a strong working relationship with his administration to bring about a more peaceful, secure and prosperous Middle East.”

President Joe Biden and Netanyahu disagreed regarding the war’s progression despite substantial U.S. military assistance. Consequently, Netanyahu was the first to congratulate Trump on “history’s greatest comeback.”

In his statement on Wednesday, Netanyahu declared, “Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”

Afterward, Netanyahu conversed with Trump. The Israeli side characterized the conversation as a “warm and cordial” exchange in which the two “agreed to work together for Israel’s security and also discussed the Iranian threat.”

The Israel-Hamas war, which has since expanded to include an Israeli air and land offensive against the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, strikes from other Axis of Resistance factions in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and even direct exchanges of strikes between Israel and Iran, has served as a polarizing foreign policy issue in the United States.

Biden has been accused by Israel supporters of not doing enough to aid the U.S. ally and by pro-Palestinian factions of failing to sufficiently rein in Netanyahu, despite his continued provision of military assistance to Israel and his advocacy for greater safeguards to mitigate civilian harm.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign largely mirrored the Biden administration’s stance, calling for peace and expressing empathy for the plight of civilians entangled in the conflict. However, she rejected any demands to withhold arms sales to Israel.

Hamas Issues Statement

Additionally, Hamas issued a statement on Wednesday that urged the United States to “cease providing military support and political cover to the Zionist entity and to recognize the legitimate rights of our people.” The statement also called for an end to Israel’s campaign in Lebanon.

“The American president-elect is required to listen to the voices that have been raised from American society itself for more than a year regarding the Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip,” according to the statement, “rejecting the occupation and genocide, and objecting to support and bias toward the Zionist entity.”

On Wednesday, Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian National Authority, congratulated Trump on his election victory. Abbas is the leader of the West Bank-based government that competes with Hamas, which is based in Gaza.

The Palestine News and Information Agency (WAFA) released a statement in which Abbas expressed “his aspiration to collaborate with President Trump to promote peace and security in the region” and underscored “the dedication of our people to the pursuit of statehood, self-determination, and freedom in compliance with international law.”

Abbas was reported to have said, “We will remain steadfast in our commitment to peace,” and we are confident that under your leadership, the United States will support the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.”

While in office, both Hamas and Abbas had frequently denounced Trump’s Middle East policies, such as his 2018 decision to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem and his 2020 proposal to resolve the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Abraham Accords

The proposal, which was widely referred to as the “deal of the century,” would have conferred Israel control over occupied areas along the Jordanian border and internationally unrecognized Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Hamas and other Palestinian factions would be disarmed, Palestinians would acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state, refrain from participating in any international organizations without Israeli consent, and receive the right to access international investments and a portion of the desert territory along the Israel-Egypt border.

In addition, the proposition proposed the construction of a tunnel connecting Gaza and the West Bank, one of its most ambitious moves.

Even though the Arab world did not support the plan, Trump successfully oversaw the Abraham Accords later that year, establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

The U.S. withdrawal from a multilateral nuclear agreement in 2018 and the U.S. killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force chief Major General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq in 2020 were also significant factors in the sharp increase in tensions between Washington and Tehran that Trump oversaw.

The Republican leader has since accused Biden and Harris of being too lenient toward Iran and has consistently maintained that the war in Hamas would not have occurred under his presidency. In the meantime, Trump has accused his Democratic opponents of attempting to incite a more extensive conflict in the Middle East, a course of action that he has pledged to avoid.

Trump stated during his election night victory speech, “We desire a robust and capable military, and we would prefer not to employ it.” He also said, “You are aware that we did not experience any wars for four years.” There were no conflicts. Except for the fact that we defeated ISIS, we did so in record time.

“They predicted that he would initiate a conflict.” “I will not initiate a war,” Trump declared in the early hours of Wednesday. “I’m going to stop wars.”

Source: Newsweek

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Geoff Thomas

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Politics

Past Trump Rhetoric By Trudeau May Hurt Canadians

Published

3 hours ago

2024-11-08

Geoff Thomas

Trump and Trudeau's relationship is not particularly cordial

On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau quickly congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory, saying the friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world. However, there is no friendship between the two leaders.

During Trump’s previous presidency, the two leaders engaged in a series of disagreements regarding numerous matters. Trump and Trudeau’s relationship is not particularly cordial, as evidenced by their involvement in a verbal conflict and their significant policy changes that have had a detrimental impact on Canada’s economy.

Trump has referred to Trudeau as a “far-left lunatic” and “two-faced,” and Trudeau once appeared to ridicule Trump at a NATO leaders’ meeting in 2019.

Donald Trump’s significant victory in the presidential election is unfavorable to Justin Trudeau, who has disparaged Trump for the past four years, accusing him of everything from racism to homophobia to advance his political position.

Trudeau has been brazenly exploiting Trump and Trumpism as a bogeyman purportedly concealed within the Conservative movement.

In December, Trudeau stated to The Canadian Press, “What we are witnessing from these MAGA conservatives is an approach that undermines fundamental rights.”

Trudeau declared in January that Canada would experience a “regression” if another Trump presidency were to occur.

Now that Trump has returned, Trudeau’s remarks will be remembered, which could result in significant difficulties for the prime minister, who is already grappling with a leadership crisis.

Trudeau’s previous statements may impede the establishment of a robust, rekindled relationship with the impending Trump administration, which will ultimately be detrimental to Canadians.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland emphasized the “enduring relationships—I would even say even friendships” that Canadian officials have with their US counterparts to anticipate potential retaliation.

“Canada will be prosperous, Canadians will be safe and our sovereign identity will be secure as we work with this newly elected administration,” according to her.

Trump’s strained relationship with Justin Trudeau could further exacerbate Canada’s already challenging circumstances in terms of its social, economic, and environmental well-being.

Trudeau asserts that Canada is prepared for a second Donald Trump presidency despite the prevailing uncertainty regarding his strategy for managing Trump’s forthcoming agenda.

Nevertheless, the primary campaign issues are the declining economy and the recent rapid increase in the cost of living in Canada. These issues occur in diplomatic disputes with China and India, which have impeded efforts to diversify trade.

Trump’s victory could significantly influence Canadian politics by raising the Liberals’ hysteria for the upcoming year until the elections.