Justin Trudeau faces grim poll showing a majority of Canadians want him to resign as prime minister – as his Conservative rival gains support

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading into a winter of discontent after new polls showed a majority of voters want him to resign.

The poll was published this week by Ipsos shows that 72 percent of Canadians believe Trudeau should resign and let his Liberal Party choose a new leader before the next election, which won't take place until 2025.

If elections were held today, Pierre Poilievre, a 44-year-old upstart who became opposition leader last year, would easily defeat Trudeau, polls show.

Trudeau, 51, came to power in 2015 as a popular and photogenic young prime minister but has endured a series of scandals and embarrassments, ranging from repeated ethics sanctions to blackface photos from his youth.

Now his biggest challenge is a cost-of-living crisis as Canadians struggle with higher prices for food, energy and basic necessities — an issue Poilievre has hammered home as he calls for change.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a winter of discontent after new polls showed a majority of voters want him to resign

If an election were held today, polls show that Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, a 44-year-old upstart who became opposition leader last year, would handily defeat Trudeau

Trudeau has repeatedly dismissed the idea that he would step down as party leader, insisting he plans to lead the Liberals in the next election.

“The next elections are in two years,” he said in French in September.

'I will continue to do my job. There is much important work for Canadians to do in these difficult moments. “I remain enthusiastic and relentless about this work,” he added.

But the new Ipsos poll showed that even within his Liberal Party, support for Trudeau is declining, with 33 percent of voters saying they want him to resign, down from 28 percent in September.

Other party leaders enjoy much stronger support within their parties, including Poilievre, who has the support of 91 percent of Conservatives to lead the party at the next election.

Left-wing NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also enjoys strong support of 78 percent within his party.

When it comes to potential successors to Trudeau as party leader, Ipsos found that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has the most name recognition, and the greatest potential to improve Liberal fortunes at the ballot box.

Separate polls from the Angus Reid Institute showed Trudeau's approval ratings in October matching record lows for his time as prime minister.

Only 31 percent of Canadians said they approved of Trudeau's performance, while 64 percent disapproved.

The same poll showed Poilievre with an unfavorable share of 49 percent and a favorable rating of 37 percent, with 14 percent of voters undecided about the Tory leader.

72 percent of Canadians say Trudeau should resign and let his Liberal Party choose a new leader before the next election, which won't take place until 2025

Only 31 percent of Canadians said they approved of Trudeau's performance, while 64 percent disapproved

The same poll showed Poilievre with an unfavorable share of 49 percent and a favorable rating of 37 percent, while 14 percent of voters were undecided.

When it comes to potential successors to Trudeau as party leader, Ipsos found that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland (above) has the most name recognition

For Trudeau, personal turmoil has been matched by political challenges after he and his wife of 18 years, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, announced their separation.

The couple did not publicly comment on the reason for the split, although court documents suggested Sophie had “re-partnered” with an Ottawa doctor as early as April, according to the National Post.

If he chooses to resign before the next election, Trudeau would follow in the footsteps of his own father, Pierre Trudeau, who resigned as prime minister in 1984 after taking a “walk in the snow” to settle the issue to consider.

Poilievre has now emerged as an energetic opposition leader, focusing on the inflation problem and blaming Trudeau's signature carbon tax policy, which polls show is increasingly unpopular with voters.

Earlier this week, he bartered with Trudeau during Question Time in the House of Commons, saying the only thing the Liberal leader had to offer Canadians for Christmas was a “carbon tax on coal.”

Justin Trudeau, 51, and his 18-year-old wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (pictured), 48, confirmed their separation via statements on Instagram on August 2, 2023.

“I'm happy to point out that we are the government phasing out coal!” Trudeau shot back.

“The Conservative Party of Canada's climate denialism puts future White Christmases at risk. And that is why we are on this side of the House for Christmas,” he added.

Undeterred, a smiling Poilievre responded, saying, “Mr. Speaker, that has to be the angriest and most caustic Christmas message I have ever seen!'

The carbon tax, a standard price per ton of CO2 equivalent emissions produced, is intended to discourage the use of fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to clean energy.

The tax is currently set at $65 CAD per tonne, but will increase over time to encourage the switch to alternatives to fossil fuels.

However, the ongoing cost of living crisis has contributed to an 11-point drop in support for carbon pricing compared to 2021 levels among Canadian voters. recent survey showed.

Poilievre has long wanted to abolish the tax, arguing that it is an unfair cost to consumers and that it is becoming a signature issue for the opposition.