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Ottawa
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reportedly lost support among his core Liberal allies since the shocking exit of Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland last week.
A number of Canadian media outlets, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Toronto Star, have reported that at least 51 MPs from Ontario province, the country’s most populous, recently met virtually and agreed to show Trudeau the exit door.
The Ontario chapter of the Liberal party boasts 75 members, and dwindling support in the province translates to serious political trouble for the prime minister.
Freeland’s exit: The last straw
Discontent over Trudeau’s leadership had been building up over the months but looks like Freeland’s rude exit is snowballing into the final straw for the Canadian leader. Just within a week, at least 21 Liberal MPs have publicly urged Trudeau to step down.
Toronto Star has reported that none of the Ontario MPs have supported Trudeau to remain in the leading role for next year’s elections.
Meanwhile, Quebec Liberal MP Anthony Housefather was quoted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as saying that the “vast majority” of fellow MPs he is speaking to believe Trudeau should resign, “whether they’ve gone public or not.”
Also read: Canada PM Justin Trudeau on brink of losing power as key ally NDP vows to launch no-confidence vote
Freeland reportedly quit the cabinet over disagreements regarding Canada’s response to the tariff threat from Donald Trump, the US president-elect.
She tendered her resignation on December 16, warning of the dangers of Trump’s “America-first” economic nationalism.
Watch: Canada: 50 Liberal Party Parliamentarians Ask Trudeau To Step Down
Freeland’s exit triggered chaos in Ottawa, with many Liberal leaders now urging the former deputy PM to take on the leadership role.
Trudeau’s former political ally, New Democratic Party’s Jagmeet Singh, has also vowed to withdraw support from the Liberal leader once the House of Commons resumes in January after the holidays. The move may also trigger a spring election.
(With inputs from agencies)