Major reshuffle as Trudeau faces party pressure, Trump attacks

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hopes a reshuffle could improve his fortunes – Copyright AFP Dave Chan

Michel COMTE

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday shook up his cabinet, changing one-third of his team as political turmoil threatens his leadership and tensions erupt with incoming US president Donald Trump.

The reshuffle came at the end of a chaotic week in Ottawa spurred by the surprise resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland following disagreement with her boss over Trump’s threats to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports.

Her exit, after nearly a decade at Trudeau’s side, marked the first open dissent against the prime minister from within his cabinet and has emboldened critics.

Since then, Trudeau has hunkered down with advisors as he reportedly contemplates his own political future amid calls for him to step down ahead of elections scheduled for October 2025 but expected much sooner.

In Friday’s reset, eight new ministers were appointed to replace those in the 35-member cabinet who have signaled they will not seek reelection, and to relieve others of their double or triple duties in government.

Four current ministers were also given new responsibilities.

Freeland, who also quit her role as finance minister, has said she would seek reelection next year.

– Behind in the polls –

Trudeau’s childhood friend and ally Dominic LeBlanc was already sworn in as the new finance minister hours after Freeland quit.

He also took over the reins from her on negotiating with the incoming Trump administration.

Several cabinet recruits, as they headed into the swearing-in ceremony Friday, declared their confidence in Trudeau.

But part of his caucus has urged him to resign, worried that voter fatigue with his leadership will hamstring the Liberals in the next election.

Trudeau swept to power in 2015 and led the Liberals to two more ballot box victories in 2019 and 2021.

But he now trails by 20 points his main rival, Conservative Pierre Poilievre, in public opinion polls. And his Liberals lost four by-elections this year.

Compounding those woes, Trudeau faces the possibility that Trump in January will slap 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, accusing both of allowing the United States to be flooded with illicit drugs, namely fentanyl, and undocumented migrants.

More than 75 percent of Canadian exports go to the United States and nearly two million Canadian jobs depend on trade.

In her resignation letter, Freeland warned this could lead to a “tariff war” with the United States and urged Ottawa to keep its “fiscal powder dry” while rebuking Trudeau’s spendthrift policies.

Trudeau last month traveled to Florida to meet with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in a bid to head off a trade war.

Trump called the talks over dinner “very productive.”

But since then the president-elect has also landed humiliating blows against Trudeau on social media, repeatedly calling him “governor” of Canada and declaring that the United States’ northern neighbor becoming the 51st US state is a “great idea.”

Political analysts and officials have said the taunts appeared aimed at putting Trudeau on the back foot in bilateral negotiations.