Ultimately, Justin Trudeau decided that he had to step down to save himself from further disgrace. His politics and his career have been going badly for some time now and there seems to be no way out of the quagmire in which he is sinking with each passing day. He may be feeling as if he is being abandoned not only by his own party, his nation but also by the wider world. It is equally sad for a man who emerged as the darling of the global media nearly a decade ago to become a laughingstock as the governor of America’s 51st state.
So, when Trudeau announced he was resigning and would remain in office until his Liberal Party chose a new leader, and Parliament would be adjourned until March 24, it was hardly welcomed. It was done with a shrug.
How Trudeau scripted his downfall
Still, most of the problems facing Trudeau are of his own making. When Deputy Prime Minister and longtime ally Chrystia Freeland resigned suddenly in December, Trudeau was accused of not doing enough to address the “serious challenge” posed by Trump’s proposal to impose a 25% tax on imported Canadian goods. When accused of, this was the last straw. , as it led parties such as the New Democrats and the Quebec nationalist party, the Bloc Québécois, to withdraw their support, which had kept the Liberals in power. As the main opposition Conservatives had been gaining ground over the past few years, Trudeau was seen as a drag on the Liberals’ political fortunes.
In his resignation letter, Freeland strongly criticized Trudeau’s “political moves”, possibly referring to the two-month sales tax holiday and the C$250 rebate for most workers, which represented a fundamental problem with Trudeau’s brand of leadership. Underlines. For a leader who came to power in 2015 promising a “sunny way” for his country, all he could do in the end was political gimmickry.
The post-COVID economic situation has been weak for most Canadians and their COVID management has not impressed a large majority. As unemployment skyrocketed and the cost of living crisis grew, Canadians’ confidence in Trudeau’s abilities declined. His popularity fell and backbenchers began to abandon him out of fear for his political future.
Trump’s election victory came as a major shock on the foreign policy front. Trump has claimed that his pressure on tariffs led Trudeau to resign; He also took a dig at Canada’s status, saying it should become America’s “51st state”. “If Canada were to merge with the United States, there would be no tariffs, taxes would be greatly reduced, and they would be completely safe from the constant threat of Russian and Chinese ships,” he added on Truth Social. In Trudeau’s wounds.
A lost decade for India and Canada
Of course, when it came to India, Trudeau was an unmitigated disaster. Under his leadership, Canada managed to achieve the unimaginable: becoming the ‘New Pakistan’ in the Indian foreign policy matrix. Trudeau’s contribution to the failure of current India-Canada relations cannot be underestimated. Both nations had almost succeeded in moving on from the Kanishka bombing, the nuclear challenge and the broader Cold War strategic divergence. In particular, under Stephen Harper, who was Prime Minister from 2006 to 2015, a change in the tone and tenor as well as the substance of the engagement became apparent.
On the other hand, the decline was rapid under Trudeau’s leadership. His courtship of Khalistani extremists to strengthen his domestic position has clouded his ability to treat India-Canada relations with the seriousness they deserve. By focusing on India as a target, he tried to mobilize his party’s base in a last ditch effort. When Trudeau claimed last September that Canadian security agencies had credible evidence of the involvement of Indian government officials in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, few in India took his claim seriously. After all, it was his own government that had repeatedly refused to extradite Nijjar and other extremists despite India’s repeated requests, while also turning a blind eye to the hateful, violent rhetoric of pro-Khalistan groups.
good riddance?
The self-righteous stance by Trudeau and his party is aimed at attracting a key electoral demographic. Nevertheless, his unwillingness to understand Indian concerns and lack of sensitivity regarding Sikh separatism has done some serious damage to the basic framework of India-Canada relations. Trudeau’s departure was necessary to rebuild India-Canada because the strategic partnership that was signed in 2015 is now in a dilapidated state. His successors will have to work hard to ensure this reset happens quickly to make up for the decade lost under Trudeau.
(Harsh V Pant is vice president of studies at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi.)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
