NATIONAL PULSE – Replacing Justin Trudeau as leader won’t help Liberals

By ANGUS REID INSTITUTE

June 24, 2024 – As the ballots are counted from the byelection in Toronto-St. Paul’s – a contest that many believe is pivotal for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s future at the helm of the Liberal party, new data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds jettisoning the unpopular prime minister may not do much to improve the party’s electoral fortunes.

While Trudeau’s personal unpopularity is viewed as a major drag on the party’s support, the data does not suggest a leadership change would close the 21-point gap between the Liberals and the Conservatives.

Canadians are more likely than not to say rumoured successors such as Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and President of the Treasury Board Anita Anand would drive them away from the party.

Meanwhile, among the two-in-five (37%) Canadians who are mulling voting for the Liberals in the upcoming election, half (48%) say they are hesitant to support the party because the government has not made progress on issues they find important – such as affordability and health care.

Link to the poll here: www.angusreid.org/

Download .PDF with detailed tables, graphs and methodology.