Assisted suicide was responsible for killing one in 20 Canadians last year, according to newly released data.
The federal government released its fifth annual Medical Assistance in Dying report which revealed that of the 19,660 applications received by Health Canada last year, 15,343 individuals were approved for assisted suicide.
“The remaining cases were requests for MAID that did not result in MAID being provided (2,906 died before receiving MAID, 915 individuals were deemed ineligible and 496 individuals withdrew their request),” reads the report.
That figure accounts for 4.7% of all 326,471 deaths in Canada in 2023.
Since the program’s inception in 2016, 60,301 people have now resorted to assisted suicide through the taxpayer-funded program.
The annual number of deaths has taken a sharp incline in recent years as the Trudeau government continues to broaden the scope of the program’s eligibility, which offers people a lethal cocktail to be administered either orally or intravenously.
While only 1,018 people received assisted suicide under the program in 2016, nearly 20,000 people applied for it in 2023, with an approval rating of over 80.5%.
Initially, it was only made available to adults whose natural death was “reasonably foreseeable” but it was expanded to those whose natural death is not “reasonably foreseeable” in 2021, such as people with non-terminal illnesses and disabilities.
However, the Liberals aren’t stopping there, having already expressed plans to further expand program eligibility to those suffering solely from mental illness by 2027.
This target has been met with strong pushback from many Canadians and scrutinized by others outside the country as well.
Still, many Canadians have already received assisted suicide for much lesser things than a terminal illness, such as Alan Nichols, who was euthanized at the age of 51 because he suffered from “hearing loss.”
Another incident involved a 54-year-old man named Amir Farsoud, who applied for MAID in 2022 because he was unable to work due to chronic pain and feared he would soon be homeless.
Amir Farsoud, a Canadian, faced mounting debts and suffered from severe back pain. He was pressured to agree to be euthanized in order to lessen the burden on the state.
Farsoud, says he felt coerced into being killed due to the prospect of being homeless as a result of… pic.twitter.com/jzUvXUaMEK
— “Sudden And Unexpected” (@toobaffled) May 15, 2024
Fortunately, good Samaritans raised enough money for him to change his mind before his assisted suicide could occur.
According to the report, men are slightly more likely to receive MAID than women overall, however, the data differs in terms of track assessment.
Track 1 recipients were slightly more likely to be male at 51.2%, with women at 48.8%. Whereas women were more likely to receive MAID for Track 2 than men, at 58.5% and 41.5%, respectively.
“These findings are consistent with overall population health trends. Women are more likely to experience long-term chronic conditions, such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, dementia, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.” reads the report. “While such conditions can cause enduring suffering, they would not typically make a person’s death reasonably foreseeable. In contrast, men experience higher rates of heart disease and the most severe forms of cancer, which have a higher mortality burden.”
The newly released data also broke down the assisted suicide deaths by race with the overwhelming majority of recipients being caucasian.
“A total of 9,619 people of the 15,343 who received MAID responded to this question, the vast majority of whom (95.8%) identified as Caucasian (White),” it reads. “The second most commonly reported racial, ethnic or cultural identity was East Asian (1.8%).”
Wait times for assisted suicide applicants vary depending on whether they are considered Track 1 or Track 2 individuals.
“For individuals assessed as Track 1, there is no minimum specified period of time that must pass between completion of the eligibility assessment and MAID provision,” reads the report.
The median number of days between the MAID request and MAID provision for this cohort was 13 days last year.
“For individuals assessed as Track 2, the legislation requires practitioners to ensure there are at least 90 clear days between the date the first assessment began and the day on which MAID is provided,” it said.
Private residences were the most common locations for people to receive assisted suicide, accounting for 37.8%, followed by hospitals at 32.7%. Palliative care facilities, residential care facilities, funeral homes and community-based settings accounted for the rest.
“Consistent with previous years, the majority of MAID provisions occurred in Quebec (36.5%), Ontario (30.3%) and British Columbia (18.0%) in 2023, with these three provinces accounting for nearly 85% of all MAID provisions,” reads the report.
“The number of MAID provisions increased in most jurisdictions, except for Prince Edward Island where the number remained the same as in 2022, and in the Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador where the number decreased.”
With all opposition party leaders vowing to vote non-confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is hoping the Governor General can help make a vote happen.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has written to Governor General Mary Simon, urging her to persuade Trudeau to either dissolve Parliament and call an election or reconvene as soon as possible to hold a confidence vote. He has called on NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québecois Leader Yves François Blanchet to do the same.
“All three recognized opposition parties, whose combined MPs constitute a clear majority of the House of Commons, have now stated unequivocally that they have lost confidence in the Prime Minister,” wrote Poilievre.
Pierre Poilievre says the government is a “chaotic clown show” that “cannot go on.”
Poilievre says he will write to the Governor General, urging her to reconvene Parliament for a non-confidence vote. pic.twitter.com/3N5HYcoyyY
Despite the growing opposition against the prime minister, Poilievre said Trudeau “continues to cling desperately to power.”
Poileve said having a parliamentary sitting over the holiday break is necessary.
“In a crisis like this, with so much at stake for our country, all parliamentarians must put aside personal plans and act in the interest of Canadians,” said Poilievre.
The process of recalling the House usually begins with a request to the Speaker, according to the House of Commons procedure and practice rules. If the speaker is satisfied that it would be in the public interest for the House to reconvene, then a date of resumption is provided, and members are given at least 48 hours to travel to Ottawa.
The House speaker, Greg Fergus, is a Liberal MP but is supposed to discharge his duties in a non-partisan manner.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh issued his own letter on Friday, informing Canadians that he would put forward a non-confidence motion to trigger an election when Parliament resumes.
Pierre Poilievre calls on Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh to join him in writing to the Governor General to demand a recall of Parliament for a non-confidence vote. pic.twitter.com/RGTREeWxXx
“If Jagmeet Singh this time is telling the truth, which remains to be seen, then he will join with me and write the Governor General,” Poilievre said when speaking outside of Parliament. “Forty-one million Canadians are being held hostage by the pension of one man. So I’m asking Mr. Singh to put patriotism ahead of pension.”
Poilievre told Simon that the Governor General’s job is to uphold the constitutional principle of a prime minister maintaining the confidence of the House of Commons.
“The position of all opposition parties and a majority of the members of the House of Commons is clear. Only an election or an immediate confidence vote can provide the constitutional certainty we need at this grave time. I seek your most urgent response to this matter.” said Poilievre.
Pierre Poilievre on PM Trudeau: “We have a guy here who has lost control of everything and yet he clings to power. This cannot go on.” pic.twitter.com/sypxX33lBV
Poilievre called the Liberal caucus revolt and recent events that Canadians have been experiencing “total mayhem” and “hallucinogenic.”
He highlighted three major developments since the last confidence vote. Firstly, Blanchet said he no longer has confidence in Trudeau. Singh followed. Finally, Poilievre said there are 18 Liberal MPs, including Freeland, who have lost confidence. This number grew by at least two more in the hours following Poilievre’s letter.
“Add them all up, and you have 70% of parliamentarians who do not have confidence in the Prime Minister. And, in the middle of a trade, border, crime and cost of living emergency, this cannot go on,” said Poilievre.
True North has been compiling a list of the Liberal MPs who have officially called for Trudeau’s resignation. As of Friday afternoon, it stands at 20. If Parliament is not recalled, the House is set to resume on Jan. 27, 2025.
Pierre Poilievre: "The only way for me to have the moral authority to get a deal with incoming President Trump is to have the strength that comes from winning election… so that I face him with a position of strength." pic.twitter.com/Kkfs0KcIPA
Danielle Smith with staff and the Alberta Washington Office - Feb 2024 - Source: Facebook
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will be attending Donald Trump’s inauguration next month rather than simply watching from the Canadian embassy, as previously planned.
It was originally reported in mid-November that Smith would be headed to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration but would not be at the ceremony itself.
“The premier will be attending and hosted at several events leading up to the inauguration. The premier is also attending the inauguration on Capitol Hill and she will be attending the Canadian embassy event that day as well. Following the inauguration, the premier hopes to meet with energy groups, congresspeople, and various officials,” a spokesperson for Smith confirmed to True North.
Despite President-elect Donald Trump winning the election on Nov. 5, he does not take office until he’s sworn in on Jan. 20, 2025.
With the day still being a month away, Smith’s schedule is not finalized, and more events are expected to be added to the itinerary leading up to the event.
Alberta’s representative office in Washington, D.C., was given tickets to Trump’s inauguration so Smith could attend in person.
Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday, saying that nobody could answer why the United States was subsidizing Canada for around $100 million annually.
“Makes no sense! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on taxes and military protection. I think it is a great idea. 51st State!!!” said Trump.
However, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre–who would likely take office if an election were held today–does not agree with Trump.
“My message to incoming President Trump is that, first and foremost, Canada will never be the 51st state of the U.S.,” said Poilievre.
Smith replied to Trump on an X post, clarifying Canada’s trade relationship with the United States.
She said that the trade deficit results from Canada, especially Alberta, sending billions of raw materials like oil, gas, minerals, and more to refineries and factories in the United States before they are sold worldwide, including back to Canada – which Smith said was the U.S.’ “biggest customer by a mile.”
She added that millions of American jobs depend on these raw materials, which contribute trillions of dollars to the U.S. economy.
Alberta alone sends 4.3 million barrels of oil and gas daily to the United States, according to Smith.
“As a conservative premier in Canada, I believe we have two of the greatest countries on earth. We have fought and bled together in many wars, and built an incredible alliance and partnership,” said Smith. “I really hope we can strengthen that partnership throughout your Presidency by securing our shared border as you’ve requested and partnering to protect our North American workers from unfair Chinese trade practices. Americans and Canadians will both benefit immensely from this.”
Twenty Liberal MPs have called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down after following Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s surprise resignation from cabinet Monday morning.
A group of 23 Liberal MPs previously signed a letter in October calling for Trudeau’s resignation at the next caucus meeting, although the push seemed to fizzle out and few MPs publicly put their names to the calls. That has not been the case since Freeland’s announcement. Here are the MPs now openly calling for Trudeau to resign.
Liberal MP Francois Drouin
One of the first to call for his leader’s resignation was Liberal MP Francois Drouin, who called on Trudeau to resign live on television.
“I think he needs to go,” said Drouin. “I think today’s resignation is a sign of that.”
“[Trudeau] needs to go… I think today’s resignation is a sign of that.”
Liberal MP Francis Drouin believes PM Trudeau should resign following Chrystia Freeland’s resignation. pic.twitter.com/zXGJj43Fdq
The Liberal MP representing Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, Chad Collins, also joined the call for Trudeau’s resignation.
He reminded Canadians that he was among the group of 23 MPs who formerly asked Trudeau to step down in Oct.
“Today, I publicly reiterate my request that the Prime Minister step down and initiate a leadership process to take our country in a new direction,” wrote Collins in his letter shared to X.
In Oct, I signed a letter with 23 MPs from across 🇨🇦, asking the PM to step down and begin a formal process to replace him. Today, I publicly reiterate my request that the Prime Minister step down and initiate a leadership process to take our country in a new direction. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/TbP95mhVNP
Another Liberal MP who was among the 23 MPs who formerly called on Trudeau’s resignation, Patrick Weiler, also re-iterated his call publicly. He shared a letter he wrote to X on Monday.
“It is clear that the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of members of caucus and increasingly much of the country. With so many important issues at hand here at home and abroad, this reality demands substantive change,” said Weiler. “I reiterate my call for the Prime Minister to step aside and allow the initiation of a leadership process.”
Please see my statement on the resignation of Finance Minister Freeland and the Prime Minister's leadership. pic.twitter.com/4KTagjKdEe
An Ontario Liberal MP representing the riding of Markham—Stouffville, Helena Jaczek, was another Liberal MP calling on Trudeau to resign.
“Firing a strong female leader and Minister of Finance, after years of dedicated service, is unacceptable. It is time for Justin Trudeau to resign as Prime Minister,” she said.
Liberal MP René Arseneault
The Liberal MP representing the constituency of Madawaska—Restigouche in New Brunswick, René Arseneault, was also said to have requested Trudeau’s resignation.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather
While not having initially called on Trudeau to resign, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather wrote to the Liberal Caucus Chair, Brenda Shanahan, to convene a national caucus meeting within the next 24 hours.
New Brunswick Liberal MP Wayne Long had some harsh words for Trudeau, calling for his immediate resignation.
Long said the growing momentum against Trudeau’s leadership was previously between 23 and 30 MPs, but has now grown to between 45 and 50.
He equated Freeland’s letter to a vote of non-confidence from within the cabinet.
He said he was amazed that Liberal MPs emerged from the caucus meeting saying they had confidence in Trudeau, when he knows the opposite to be true.
“To be blunt: he’s delusional right now. I think that he’s living in a false reality,” said Long.
He added that the Liberals would be “decimated” in the next election if Trudeau refuses to step down.
“He’s out of touch with reality right now. He needs to read the room and he needs to listen to people around him. He needs to listen to his caucus. He needs to look at the polls. He needs to look at this country from coast to coast to coast. What demographic, what region are we strong in right now? I can’t name one,” said Long.
Liberal MP Serge Cormier
The Liberal MP representing the New Brunswick riding of Acadie—Bathurst, Serge Cormier, echoed his provincial colleagues’ concerns when speaking with Brunswick News.
“I think it’s time for the prime minister to really think about what’s good for the future of government, what’s good for the future of the Liberal party and give his job to somebody else,” he said.
Liberal MP Jenica Atwin
The New Brunswick Liberal MP representing the riding of Fredericton also called for Trudeau’s resignation in an interview with Brunswick News.
Jenica Atwin, who was previously a Green MP, said that she’s tried to keep her head down and just continue working but that the overwhelming distraction has become unavoidable.
She added that the party needs to be led by someone who can prove they’re listening to the concerns of Canadians and caucus members, and if that doesn’t happen, she will not run again.
Liberal MP Ken Hardie
Ken Hardie, the MP for the British Columbia riding of Fleetwood—Port Kells, told CBC that he was willing to give Trudeau more time to restore his confidence with Canadians, but that time has long passed.
“The prime minister has not moved the needle,” he told CBC.
He added that despite the Liberals implementing various policies recently, Canadians aren’t buying what they’re selling because they are done with Trudeau.
Liberal MP Ken McDonald
The Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal MP representing Avalon, Ken McDonald, has renewed his previous call for Trudeau’s resignation.
A longtime critic of the federal carbon tax, McDonald was also among the previous 23 MPs who signed the letter calling for Trudeau’s resignation in Oct., according to NTV.
He also noted his surprise at the news of Freeland resigning and Housing Minister Sean Fraser announcing he would not be seeking re-election.
Liberal MP Yvan Baker
Ontario Liberal MP representing the constituency of Etobicoke Centre, Yvan Baker, joined the chorus of voices calling for Trudeau to leave. Baker took it one step further, telling CBC that he thinks Trudeau will resign.
“I believe it’s really, really important that he steps down. It’s in the best interest of the country, and it’s what our constituents are telling us,” Baker told CBC.
Liberal MP Sean Casey
Charlottetown, P.E.I. Liberal MP Sean Casey told CBC that many of his colleagues are concerned with how Freeland was treated by Trudeau.
He said that the list will continue to grow, as some MPs are waiting for cabinet positions to be filled before they speak out.
“There’s eight or nine cabinet positions available. There’s 30 people that think they’re in the running. In my view, the cabinet shuffle is being delayed to keep them off the list,” said Casey. “They’re going to be a heck of a lot more interested in speaking out once they find out that they’re not going into cabinet.”
Liberal MP Alexandra Mendès
Quebec Liberal MP Alexandra Mendès voiced her concern with the handling of Freeland’s removal.
“I was really affected by the way the minister of finance was treated,” she told CBC.
She was previously convinced that Trudeau should stay on for the next election but has changed her tune and thinks he needs to resign.
Liberal MP Brendan Hanley
Yukon MP Brendan Hanley told CBC his party is in need of someone else at the helm.
“I don’t see any viable path forward with the prime minister staying as our leader. I think now is the time to allow for a leader to take over and to really bring a different vision and a new energy to the party,” said Hanley.
He added that he told Trudeau that his constituents, along with party supporters and donors in the Yukon, felt that the Liberals required new leadership.
Hanley said that he is calling for a vote by secret ballot among Liberal MPs as to whether Trudeau should stay or resign.
Liberal MP Valerie Bradford
Ontario MP Valerie Bradford called for Trudeau’s resignation in an interview with CTV. She said that Canadians feel negatively about all ballot choices right now.
“If we were to have an election right now, it would be nice to offer them somebody to vote for as opposed to against, so that we would have a good voter turnout so that the elction results will be valid,” said Bradford.
Liberal MP Sophie Chatel
Quebec MP Sophie Chatel told CBC reporter J.P. Tasker that it was time for Trudeau to resign.
“I believe it is in the best interest of both the party and the country for the prime minister to initiate a leadership change,” she said.
Liberal MP Heath MacDonald
Prince Edward Island MP Heath MacDonald was added to the list of MPs calling for Trudeau’s resignation by CBC.
“I’m hoping the people surrounding the PM, including ministers, will have a frank and honest discussion about the Liberal Party of Canada’s future and put their own personal pererogatives aside,” MacDonald told CBC.
“It is really hard to support him at this stage,” he added.
Liberal MP Robert Oliphant
Ontario MP Robert Oliphant posted a letter on X on Friday outlining his concerns about Trudeau.
He said that while he and his constituency are grateful for Trudeau and his political career, they share the belief that he needs to step aside.
Oliphant added that he considers Trudeau a close friend, as they were elected together in 2008. However, he said that it was now time for Trudeau to do his part to ensure that Canada remains strong and united.
“With profound thankfulness and great respect, I join the Don Valley West Federal Liberal Association in requesting the Prime Minister take appropriate steps to relinquish the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada to a new leader elected through a robust, open leadership contest,” said Oliphant.
Liberal MP Chandra Arya
Ontario MP Chandra Arya posted a letter to Trudeau on X Friday afternoon.
He said he leans center-right fiscally but has always supported Trudeau despite disagreeing with his left-most positions.
“However, it became apparent today that you no longer hold the confidence of the House of Commons,” said Arya. “Now I (am) reasonably certain that a majority of the Liberal caucus no longer supports your leadership.”
Arya took his calls for resignation a step further. He offered clear support for Chrystia Freeland to take over the party’s control.
“With all opposition parties united to vote on a motion of non-confidence, I believe it is time for you to step aside as leader of the Liberal caucus immediately,” said Arya. “Under Chrystia’s leadership, we can preserve your legacy and protect it from being dismantled by the current official opposition.”
This is a developing story and is being updated as more MPs call for Justin Trudeau to resign. It has been updated once so far.
After the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ordered a small town and its mayor to pay $15,000 fines for “discriminating” against a Pride group for not declaring June as Pride Month, the two are applying for a judicial review of the case.
The northern Ontario township of Emo announced that it has applied for a judicial review to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to have the November decision quashed and sent back to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
The tribunal found that Emo, Ont., discriminated against Borderland Pride when it voted to refrain from accepting the verbiage of a draft proclamation written by the pride group.
In the announcement, the town noted that despite being labelled as discriminatory against the LGBT community, it made a “Declaration of Equality” in 2022, after the vote and before the tribunal decision, which recognized the “dignity and worth” of LGBT people and the barriers they may face in society.
The town announced that it would not provide further comment because the matter was before the divisional courts.
The tribunal ordered the town to pay Borderland Pride $10,000. Its mayor, Harold McQuaker, was fined $5,000. McQuaker and the township’s chief administrative officer, hired after the vote, were also ordered to take a “Human Rights 101” eLearning Module by Dec. 20.
McQuaker publicly refused to pay the damages ordered against him at the beginning of the month, prompting Borderland Pride to take enforcement action against him and have the money garnished directly from his account.
According to the notice of the judicial review application obtained by True North, the town and McQuaker want the tribunal to reexamine the case and have the orders against them stayed, claiming that the decision was “unreasonable and incorrect.”
The applicants demand that any orders placed on them be halted until the human rights tribunal reexamines the matter. They also want the $5,000 –plus interest and taxes – garnished from McQuaker’s account to be returned in the meantime. They claim that the money was unfairly taken from the mayor as it was garnished before the 30-day timeline to apply for judicial review had passed.
The tribunal based its discrimination finding on a statement McQuaker made at a later, council meeting in which he pointed out that the township wasn’t flying a flag for anyone – and to fly the flag would be a political statement to which the alternative “straight flag” isn’t being flown.
Because the tribunal found McQuaker to have not acted in good faith when voting, he was disqualified from being shielded from paying damages as municipal workers in Ontario typically are for actions taken while performing their duties.
The applicants argue that the court should not have used the mayor’s post-vote statements to determine if he had discriminated against the Pride group for voting not accepting its verbiage and proclamation.
The applicants argue that the tribunal failed to explain why it declined to accept alternative explanations for McQuakers statements, including that he sought to be inclusive and that it didn’t support its claim that he acted in bad faith with “any articulable” facts.
The notice said the decision has “a profound impact on democracy” and may dissuade many from wanting to work in a low-paying municipal council job.
The applicants also argue that the orders against the CAO of the town, who was hired after the incident in question, demonstrate the unreasonableness of the decision. She allegedly was not informed that she would be subject to enforcement and wasn’t given a chance to defend herself.
Among other problems the applicants have with the decision, they also took issue with the finding that Borderland Pride could even be paid compensation for injury to its “dignity, feelings and self-respect,” as it is a corporation and not a human under the human rights code.
Josh Dehaas, a civil liberties lawyer at the Canadian Constitution Foundation and co-author of a new book on free speech, told True North that the CCF is glad that the mayor and township are challenging the decision.
“There was a lot about this decision that was illogical and unreasonable, and it sets a really bad precedent,” he said. “So we’re happy to see that Emo and Mayor McQuaker challenged this.”
The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario did not respond to True North’s request to comment.
Canadians are witnessing the fall of Justin Trudeau as even his own MPs are starting to call for his resignation. To make matters worse for Trudeau, latest polling shows an overwhelming majority of Canadians want an election now.
Luckily for Trudeau, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh seems to really want his pension. Despite constantly complaining about Trudeau, Singh continues to prop up the government. Of course, to nobody’s surprise, Singh says he will trigger an election in the new year – after he qualifies for his taxpayer-funded pension.
Plus, President-elect Trump continues to troll Canada about becoming the “51st state” and some Canadians just can’t seem to take a joke.
These stories and more on Off the Record with guest host Kris Sims, William McBeath and Noah Jarvis!
The Liberal Party of Canada’s lawyers are making contingency plans in the event of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation so that the party can elect a new leader “if necessary,” according to a media report.
La Presse reported that “two influential ministers” anonymously told the French news outlet that they informed Trudeau it was time to go.
However, time is a luxury the Liberal party can ill afford.
The Liberal Party of Canada’s constitution indicates that a leadership race must last at least four months.
Contestants must submit a written nomination three months before the leadership vote, which must be signed by 300 Liberal party members – 100 each from at least three different provinces or territories. Even before this, a leadership contest cannot begin until 28 days after the leader announces their departure.
“A convention takes months to organize,” an anonymous Liberal source told La Presse. “But we don’t have the luxury of time. We need to see how we can elect a leader quickly if necessary. The party’s lawyers are looking into it.”
A separate lawyer told La Presse that the party’s lawyers are analyzing the constitution in detail, trying to find a way to deal with Trudeau’s resignation that risks the party being overthrown in the House of Commons when it resumes on Jan. 27.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced on Friday that he would be introducing a non-confidence vote when the House of Commons resumes.
“The lawyers have been working on this since the beginning of the week,” the second Liberal source told La Presse.
However, a Liberal party spokesperson told La Presse that the claims were untrue and that none of their lawyers were looking into it, as it was clearly defined in the constitution.
Liberal party members also spoke to the Globe and Mail anonymously. One confidant told them that Trudeau believes he can no longer continue as prime minister.
However, a different source told them he doesn’t want to leave and is prepared to remain the party’s leader.
A third source told the Globe and Mail that Trudeau was prepared to resign on Monday, but that newly-appointed Minister of Finance Dominic LeBlanc and Immigration Minister Marc Miller talked him out of it.
Three different sources told the Globe and Mail that Trudeau will decide in the new year.
An interim leader can be appointed after the prime minister’s resignation. According to the party’s constitution, they would be afforded all of the powers of the party leader.
Former chief of staff to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Eddie Goldenberg, published an op-ed with National Newswatch, in which he said that Trudeau must resign by Jan. 6. He said that normalcy must be thrown to the wind due to the precarious situation the Liberal government finds itself in.
“The Liberal Party executive must, therefore, be innovative and announce that the caucus and the Cabinet will choose a new Prime Minister effective Jan. 6 and that given the national and international situation today, there will be no normal leadership convention until after the next election. If the new Prime Minister is elected, the convention will be a formality. If he or she is defeated, then there will be a real contest,” said Goldenberg.
He added that a week ago, Dominic LeBlanc or François-Philippe Champagne would have been the clear choices for Trudeau’s replacement. However, he said that Chrystia Freeland’s bold resignation from cabinet has made her the front-runner.
Freeland said in her resignation that the Liberals should focus on “eschewing costly political gimmicks” that Canadians “can ill-afford” while facing President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs.
“Many Canadians today are prepared to vote for Pierre Poilievre, not necessarily because they like him or want him but largely because he is an antidote to Justin Trudeau,” said Goldenberg. “For Canadians who want neither Mr. Trudeau nor Mr. Poilievre, a Freeland-led government might strike an ideal balance. Unquestionably, the results of the next federal election would be very different than they would be if Mr. Trudeau remained as Liberal leader.”
The growing list of Liberal MPs calling for Trudeau’s resignation will likely be added to following Friday’s cabinet shuffle. Liberal MP Sean Casey suggested as much when he said the cabinet shuffle kept approximately 30 candidates for new cabinet positions from speaking publicly against Trudeau.
Trudeau has allegedly cancelled all end-of-year interviews with the media and said he would not address reporters following the cabinet shuffle.
Justin Trudeau has added eight Liberal MPs to his front bench and reassigned four ministers as part of a long-awaited cabinet shuffle.
The shuffle follows a disastrous week for the prime minister after former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland resigned from cabinet after he told her she’d be reassigned. This followed, Freeland said, a period of tension between she and Trudeau about how to handle Canada’s finances.
The government is also bracing for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed 25% import tariff on all Canadian goods which is slated to begin next month.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon presided over the ceremony in the Rideau Hall ballroom Friday morning, along with Trudeau. Trudeau did not hold a press conference after the shuffle, as is customary.
Current cabinet ministers that changed or amended their positions are Anita Arnand, who is now the minister of transport and trade. She had also been serving as Treasury Board president.
However, Ginette Petitpas Taylor will now fill that position.
Steven MacKinnon has kept his role as labour minister but will also take over Randy Boissonnault’s former portfolio of employment, workforce development and official languages.
Boissonnault stepped down from cabinet last month following numerous allegations against him over falsely claiming to be of Indigenous heritage.
Gary Anandasangaree will stay on as minister of Crown-Indigenous relations while also picking up the northern affairs and Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency positions vacated by Dan Vandal, who is not running in the next election.
Ontario MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith is now minister of housing, infrastructure and communities, replacing Sean Fraser, who announced that he wouldn’t be running again on Monday.
Longtime Ottawa MP David McGuinty will move from his current position as chair of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians to become minister of public safety, taking over for Dominic LeBlanc, who was named finance minister Monday following Freeland’s resignation.
Other Liberal MPs newly appointed to cabinet include Quebec MP Rachel Bendayan, who will now serve as Canada’s official languages minister and associate minister of public safety.
Quebec MP Élisabeth Brière is the new minister of national revenue, taking over for Marie-Claude Bibeau after she announced she wouldn’t run again.
Ontario MP Ruby Sahota left her position as whip and will be the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, taking over for Filomena Tassi.
Nova Scotia MP Darren Fisher has become the new minister of veterans affairs and associate defence minister.
Newfoundland and Labrador MP Joanne Thompson is now the minister of seniors, a title previously held by Seamus O’Regan until his departure from cabinet.
Manitoba MP Terry Duguid will now serve as the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has officially announced he will put forward a non-confidence motion to trigger an election in the next parliamentary sitting.
This means the next general election could be called between Jan. 27 and Feb. 14, after the House of Commons returns from its holiday break.
In a letter shared on social media Friday, Singh said the “Liberals don’t deserve another chance” and that the NDP would vote to bring Trudeau’s government down.
“No matter who is leading the Liberal Party, this government’s time is up,” the letter said. “We will put forward a clear motion of non-confidence in the next sitting of the House of Commons.”
He renewed calls for the prime minister to resign.
“Canadians can come together and build a country where we take better care of each other. A country where we create good jobs. Stand up to the threats of Trump’s tariffs,” he said. “And where everyone has a chance to succeed. I will be working hard to build a movement that can win in the next election.”
Justin Trudeau failed in the biggest job a Prime Minister has: to work for people, not the powerful.
The NDP will vote to bring this government down, and give Canadians a chance to vote for a government who will work for them. pic.twitter.com/uqklF6RrUX
Singh called on Trudeau to resign earlier this week but stopped short of saying he would support a non-confidence vote against a Liberal government led by someone else. NDP House leader Peter Julian did indicate that the NDP would vote against the government on a confidence vote, but not until late February or early March.
This was criticized as the timeline coincided with Singh’s pension eligibility date on Feb. 25, 2025.
The news comes as dozens of Liberal MPs have asked Trudeau to resign. Trudeau’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, resigned just hours before she was set to deliver the Fall Economic Statement Monday. This triggered a fresh wave of uncertainty and tumult for the Liberals, who have been trailing in the polls by upwards of 20 points behind the Conservatives for some time.
Recent polling from Abacus Data taken in the hours following Freeland’s resignation suggests that nearly six in ten Canadians want an election now.
Singh and the NDP have been the only party keeping Trudeau in power since the Bloc Quebecois pulled support in late October.
After Singh announced that he had “ripped up” the supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals, he voted confidence in Justin Trudeau 11 times. Since the 2021 election, the NDP has voted confidence in the government 286 times.
An annual report by the Department of National Defence reveals the Canadian Armed Forces has been deploying full-time “gender advisors” to Ukraine and other international military operations.
Plus, the Durham Regional Police Association is adding to the growing number of people and organizations calling for an election and for the prime minister to step down.
And the Alberta NDP have held onto a Lethbridge seat in the party’s first electoral test since Naheed Nenshi became the leader.
Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and William McBeath!
