67 Percent of Canadians Say It’s Time for Trudeau to Resign: Survey

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers remarks during a National Caucus holiday event in Ottawa, on Dec. 17, 2024. Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government have hit an all-time low in public opinion since coming to power in 2015, with more than two-thirds of Canadians saying it’s time for Trudeau to step down, a new poll says.

In the Dec. 17 Abacus Data poll, 67 percent of Canadians said Trudeau should resign, while 19 percent said he should stay on as the country’s leader,

The poll was sent out to gauge public opinion after former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s Dec. 16 resignation from cabinet.

The majority of Canadians surveyed by Abacus the following day—81 percent—said they had heard about Freeland’s resignation and 42 percent said they were following the story closely.

Abacus Data CEO David Coletto called Freeland’s decision to step down “a body blow” for Trudeau and his administration, saying in a blog post that the Liberal government is in the “weakest position it’s been in public opinion since it was elected in 2015.”

Freeland published a scathing resignation letter to social media on Dec. 16 that criticized Trudeau’s policies, and her departure has strengthened calls within the Liberal caucus for Trudeau to resign.

The letter accused Trudeau of prioritizing “costly political gimmicks” over addressing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to slap a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian goods unless Ottawa tightens border security to prevent the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the United States.

Coletto said Freeland’s “bombshell resignation” has caused harm to the reputation of both Trudeau and the Liberal government as a whole and the already low ratings of both the prime minister and his party have dipped even further.

“Across the board, our trackers have hit new lows. The Prime Minister’s personal numbers, the government’s approval rating, those thinking the Liberals deserve to be re-elected, and even the mood of the country are all lower today than they were before the news of Freeland’s resignation broke,” Coletto said. “The question is whether this is the bottom or whether things can get worse.”

He said that as an increasing number of Canadians become aware of Freeland’s resignation, the repercussions may extend further, particularly as discussions about politics intensify during the holiday season.

The survey results are based on interviews with 1,186 Canadian adults in both official languages.

Majority Want Immediate Election

The survey suggests 58 percent of Canadians want an election now, while 23 percent oppose the idea. Four percent of respondents expressed indifference and another 15 percent remained uncertain.

Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said they want a change in government and believe there’s a good alternative to the current administration. Only 11 percent said Trudeau and the Liberals deserved to be re-elected—the lowest percentage Abacus has tracked to date.

Impressions of the prime minister have also worsened with 63 percent of survey respondents saying they have a negative impression of Trudeau while 20 percent have a positive view for a net score of -43.

The unfavourable ratings for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh are currently higher than they have been in the past and the upward trend in his favourable ratings has ceased, the poll found. Currently, 31 percent of respondents express a positive impression of the NDP leader, while 39 percent maintain a negative view, resulting in a net score of -8.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre received mixed reviews with 40 percent viewing him positively and 40 percent viewing him negatively for a net score of zero.