Justin Trudeau's resignation as 23rd prime minister of Canada had become inevitable.
When he rose to power in 2015, I felt hopeful for a progressive future in my country. At 43, he proudly called himself a feminist, even while showing his physical strength as a man. He promised to fight climate change, to right relations with Indigenous people, and to reform our electoral system.
But Trudeau's sunny, positive vibe didn't last. His approval rating peaked soon after he came to office and has trended down ever since. Members of his own Liberal party began publicly questioning his leadership last summer. A key alliance with the New Democratic Party fell apart last fall, and his government became unable to pass significant legislation. All major opposition parties started considering a non-confidence vote, which would force an immediate election. Whether or not history will judge him as a good leader, his resignation now was the right move.
What needs to change for the Liberal party and the progressive movement in Canada?
The first and most obvious change required is in leadership. After 10 years under a charismatic but polarizing figure, the Liberal party needs a new face. Trudeau's brand of progressivism focused heavily on his own cheerful personality—an accessible leader always seemingly open for a casual selfie.
Offscreen, his policies did not always live up to his promises.
While he instituted significant funding for worthy causes, including my wife's work against gender-based violence at a women's center, he faltered on climate change, Indigenous relations, and electoral reform. He fought to purchase a new oil and gas pipeline. He scapegoated an Indigenous minister. And he did nothing for electoral reform aside from consultations and surveys.
Even setting aside the low points of his policymaking, as well as several personal scandals, Trudeau has had a long run. It's time for someone new.
The second major change required is in the progressive movement's approach to messaging.
After Pierre Poilievre won the Conservative leadership in late 2022, the Conservatives outspent the Liberals on political advertising over the next year by more than 20 times (and the New Democratic Party by more than 200 times). They capitalized effectively on public concerns about housing, inflation, and immigration—issues the Liberals struggled to address convincingly. Housing costs remained out of reach for many. Inflation slowed, but only after prices on groceries made everyone concerned. And immigrants seem to have come into the country faster than we were prepared for.
All the while, Trudeau publicly maintained that though people may be angry, things were fine.
The Liberals need to shift their messaging away from identity politics and towards tangible actions and results. They need to talk less about who they are and more about what they do. And they need share this messaging in a way relevant to the present.
Selfies were once a symbol of accessibility. They are now associated with narcissism.
A shift in messaging doesn't mean abandoning progressive values. It means thinking harder about how to achieve real change once you've had the courage to start important conversations.
Finally, the progressive movement must get back to the business of governing.
The Liberals most recent initiatives are clear political pandering. They instituted a consumer tax holiday for Christmas. But businesses were challenged by the time and energy it took to implement, and people were confused about which goods it applied to.
They also announced a (yet to arrive) handout to individuals. But at $250 CDN, it's hardly enough to cover the cost of a week of groceries for my family of four in Toronto. Meanwhile, major legislation has been in suspension for months.
Trudeau successfully led Canada through the first Donald Trump presidency and the COVID-19 pandemic. He instituted the Canada Child Benefit, which brought thousands of our children out of poverty. I think history will judge his legacy to be both good and lasting.
As Canada, and the world, now enters a period of relative conservatism, progressives need to lay new foundations in how they lead, talk, and govern.
We need to be ready for when the pendulum of popular opinion inevitably swings again.
Angus MacCaull is a Canadian journalist who's written for Maclean's, Toronto Star, Canadian Business and more. He lives with his family in Toronto.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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