Justin Trudeau, the former Prime Minister of Canada. His unpopularity, especially toward the end of his tenure, stems from a mix of policy decisions, personal scandals, and broader political shifts. Based on what’s been discussed publicly, here’s a breakdown of the main reasons:
Economic frustration played a huge role. During his nearly decade-long leadership, Canada saw soaring housing costs, persistent inflation, and a cost-of-living crisis that hit hard in cities like Toronto and Vancouver. Many Canadians blamed his government’s spending—doubling the federal debt during COVID—and policies like the carbon tax for making life less affordable. Critics, including some in his own party, argued he focused on flashy, vote-grabbing moves (like a temporary tax holiday) instead of tackling structural issues, especially when threats like U.S. tariffs under Trump loomed large.
Scandals didn’t help. Trudeau faced multiple ethics controversies—like the SNC-Lavalin affair, where he was accused of pressuring his attorney general to go easy on a Quebec company, or the WE Charity debacle, where his family ties to the organization raised conflict-of-interest flags. The blackface incidents from his past, resurfaced in 2019, also stuck with people, painting him as hypocritical given his progressive image. These piled up, eroding trust.
His handling of dissent rubbed people the wrong way too. Invoking the Emergencies Act in 2022 to freeze bank accounts and clear out the Freedom Convoy—truckers protesting vaccine mandates—was seen by many as authoritarian overreach. Posts on X and elsewhere show that move still festers for some, who call him out for stifling free expression. His framing of the unvaccinated as a “fringe minority” with “unacceptable views” also deepened divides, alienating chunks of the working class and rural voters.
Then there’s foreign policy. His soft stance on Khalistani extremism in Canada—often chalked up to pandering to Sikh voters in British Columbia—tanked relations with India, especially after he suggested their involvement in a Canadian citizen’s killing. Meanwhile, his military budget cuts left Canada’s defense weak, and his response to Trump’s tariff threats was criticized as too timid, feeding a sense he couldn’t stand up for the country.
Finally, fatigue set in. After nine years, the “sunny ways” charm from 2015—when he rode in on progressive promises like legalizing marijuana and gender-balanced cabinets—wore thin. People got tired of his style: the performative socks, the teary apologies, the “because it’s 2015” quips. Polls like Angus Reid’s showed his approval cratering to 22% by late 2024, with even Liberals turning on him—Chrystia Freeland’s resignation was the final nail.
It’s not universal hate—some still laud his progressive wins like child poverty cuts or Indigenous reconciliation efforts—but the combo of economic pain, scandal, and a perception of weakness or elitism turned him into a lightning rod. By the time he resigned in January 2025, it felt like Canada had just had enough.
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