Justin Trudeau’s Legacy
After his approval rating plummeted, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his intention to resign as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party. How people will remember Trudeau’s legacy is likely to be contentious, but he may very well go down in history as one of Canada’s worst executives. He championed the idea of “sunny ways,” yet he leaves behind a country grappling with serious economic challenges, including substantial deficit spending and a recession on a per capita GDP basis. Additionally, Canada is facing protectionist policies from the incoming Trump administration.
Despite early optimism from progressives, Trudeau’s tenure has been marked by controversial decisions and poor judgment. From the beginning of his political career, questions were raised about Justin Trudeau’s character and his ability to lead. This criticism hinted at the challenges that would characterize his tenure as Prime Minister and his readiness for the role. Back in 2015, as Trudeau was getting ready to run against Conservative leader Stephen Harper, Canadians were cautioned about his leadership potential. The Conservatives released an attack ad that remains remarkably prescient. In the ad, four individuals are seated in a boardroom reviewing resumes. When they come across Justin Trudeau’s, one person points out that he has never “balanced a budget.” Another adds that he has never “met a payroll” or had to make a “tough choice.” The ad concludes with the voiceover: “Justin Trudeau is just not ready.”
During the 2019 election, Time magazine published a 2001 yearbook photo of Justin Trudeau wearing brownface at an Arabian Nights-themed party. Another image from the 1990s showed him in blackface. Trudeau apologized for these incidents, but shortly after, a new video of him wearing blackface surfaced. At the time, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer questioned Trudeau’s judgment and said he was “unfit to govern Canada.” These incidents raised concerns about his judgment and ability to lead a diverse, modern Canada and was a hypocritical display for a person considered a champion of social justice causes.
One of the most polarizing moments of Trudeau’s tenure occurred during the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa. Protesters and truckers surrounded the Parliament buildings, disrupting the flow of traffic and life in the capital. Trudeau refused to meet with its leaders but, during the same period, in the middle of a pandemic, greeted and kneeled at a Black Lives Matter protest.
Effective leadership involves listening to a range of perspectives, fostering open communication, and striving to de-escalate tensions rather than heightening them. Trudeau, especially during moments of crisis, did not seem interested in constructive dialogue. Engaging directly with protesters might have prevented the need to invoke the Emergencies Act that gave the government broad powers to arrest anyone without legal due process. As a result, 200 protesters were arrested, 115 vehicles were towed, bank accounts were frozen, careers were ruined, individual freedoms were taken away, and the protest was dismantled.
When one examines the background of recent successful Canadian Prime Ministers, figures like Brian Mulroney, who was the VP of an iron ore Company; Stephen Harper, a masterful strategist who united the Conservative party; and Jean Chretien, a lifelong politician who lacked charisma but made up for it with shrewd decision making allowing him to work in various ministries including finance minister before becoming Prime Minister. In contrast, Trudeau was never a steward of an economy worth over $2 trillion in GDP—the ninth-largest economy in the world. His rise to power was largely built on image-making and a progressive platform that resonated with voters when interest rates were near zero, and the government spent wildly during the pandemic.
His decision to take a family trip to visit the Aga Khan, interfering in the SNC-Lavalin case, and a plethora of scandals exemplified his egregious decision-making up to the end of his incompetent rule. Despite declining poll numbers and growing dissatisfaction within his party, he clung to power and refused to call an election. It took his Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to plunge the final dagger in his back. She is now running to replace him. Trudeau’s decision to prorogue Parliament until the end of March leaves the Liberals with little time to prepare for a competitive race.
Under Trudeau, many ministries have faced significant mismanagement, partly due to a lack of accountability within the Liberal Party. This environment discouraged MPs from addressing critical issues, allowing problems within their departments to persist. The Ministry of Immigration lost track of over 4.9 million immigrants whose visas are set to expire this year. The Ministry of Housing faces a shortage of 300,000 housing units per year, according to TD Economics. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Safety has struggled with rising crime rates, with violent crime increasing by thirty percent over the past decade. In 2022, twenty-nine percent of homicides were committed by a person on house arrest or parole, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of current policies.
Regaining the trust of Canadians will take time and a commitment to addressing practical challenges with competence and accountability. Effective governance should prioritize managing government ministries efficiently, fostering national unity and needed economic reform with a clear direction for Canada’s future. Without addressing these issues, the country faces significant challenges, and with a lack of leadership, its prosperity is at risk.
