Justin Trudeau’s political legacy refreshed in face of tariff fight
Posted March 7, 2025 10:38 am.
Last Updated March 7, 2025 1:10 pm.
When he announced his resignation almost two months ago to the day, it looked very much like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s political career was going to end with a whimper.
But that’s all changed.
In the weeks since, Trudeau has regained his superstar status for his handling of the trade war and in the face of ongoing threats from United States President Donald Trump’s administration.
He’s been lauded by those on both sides of the aisle for his determination to stand up for Canadians at a time when the country was seeking and needing strong leadership.
Our Parliament Hill reporter Cormac Mac Sweeney says his last few days have been incredibly busy and Trudeau’s number one priority is a Team Canada approach to protecting jobs, the economy, and land.
“As well as any last-minute promises or commitments he can make to leave a bit of a legacy behind,” said Mac Sweeney.
“We might expect the prime minister and his government to potentially break down more internal trade barriers within Canada. That’s something we’re keeping an eye on because trade has largely been an issue between provinces, and there’s talk about unlocking billions of dollars in economic activity.”
Intense economic pressure is meeting Trudeau in his final days to ensure the country is being handed over to the new Liberal leader in the best shape possible.
“Time is of the essence because these deadlines are fast approaching, and the government and our country can’t wait. He’s definitely got some urgency behind the work that he’s doing when it comes to the U.S. tariffs, and there will be debate in Canada about the measures being taken,” Mac Sweeney explained.
Love him or hate him, Trudeau’s near decade-long tenure as prime minister has seen some key accomplishments, like the Canada child benefit, $10 a day childcare, pharmacare, the national dental plan, banning assault rifles, and handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
The less popular items include the convoy protest in January 2022 and the ensuing use of the Emergencies Act, the SNC-Lavalin scandal, public fallouts with former ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Chrystia Freeland, and a big deficit.
“I think you can also easily say that there were also some divisions that are going to be left behind from Trudeau’s time in power,” Mac Sweeney added.
When Trudeau won the 2015 election, he did something few thought he could do.
“I think his rise was spectacular, in the sense that for the first time ever our country had a political party rise from third-party status to majority government and also his fall has been spectacular, given the way he went down with internal divisions and was sort of pushed to his decision to resign, rather than making that choice on his own.”
What comes next for Trudeau?
The prime minister’s last day in office is still to be determined.
“That will be up to a conversation between the new leader and myself to figure out how long a transition is needed,” Trudeau said last week while speaking to reporters in the capital.
“It should happen reasonably quickly, but there’s a lot of things to do in a transition like this, particularly at this complicated time in the world,” he said.
On Thursday, the 53-year-old got emotional and choked back tears while addressing his last days at the helm.
“I put Canadians first. I have people’s backs, and that’s why I’m here to tell you all that we got you. Even in the very last days of this government, we will not let Canadians down today and long into the future,” he said.
“Because in the past few weeks, we’ve been working with our provincial and territorial partners to make sure that families can rely on this system, not just for years to come but will allow this system to lock in. To become something that no government, a year from now, five years from now, 20 years from now, could ever go back on. And it’s hard to do.”
Mac Sweeney suggests that after taking a bit of a break from politics, Trudeau could take his career in a different direction.
“Normally, former prime ministers end up getting involved with boards of corporations. They can start their own companies as well. They could give global advice, and another popular thing is doing that international speaking circuit — attending events and conferences,” he explained.
“Because the insight, no matter what party you’re with and no matter what country you’ve led, leading a country gives you an experience that is unlike any other. Having that experience under your belt can also lead to a situation where you’re able to give advice that not many other people have.”
New Liberal leader decision comes Sunday
This Sunday, the Liberals will choose a new leader, with former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney and former finance minister Chrystia Freeland being the frontrunners. Karina Gould and Frank Baylis are also running.
Gould’s campaign is calling for an extension to Sunday’s vote, saying there is not enough time for all eligible voters to be verified with the Liberal Party.
Mac Sweeney says whoever wins will decide if Canadians go back to the polls ahead of October’s scheduled date.
“There are a lot of expectations that we could see a federal election right away. It hasn’t been ruled out yet by Mark Carney if he ends up taking the reins of the party. Chrystia Freeland has said she doesn’t want to the polls right away.”
If we don’t have an election, and with Parliament prorogued for the time being, the new leader will have their work cut out for them.
“The new prime minister will have to put their ideas down in a throne speech, they’d have to reconvene the House of Commons, lay out their vision, their agenda for the country over the next few months at least and they will likely be heavily dominated by what their plan is for the economy, how do we cushion the blow from economic threats from the U.S. and they’ll have to give a vision for many other things that are not being focused on right now because of what we’re seeing with the U.S.”
