NATIONAL PULSE – Trudeau took on big problems, but did he make progress?
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Marijuana legalization, social safety net seen as positives; stances on immigration, inflation negatives
By ANGUS REID INSTITUTE
March 7, 2025 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is not getting much wind down time before he ends his term leading the country. Facing daily challenges from the Trump administration, Trudeau has been front and centre while his party selects a new leader. With his time as leader running out, Canadians are divided over the legacy he’ll leave behind, but united on many of the core issues upon which he will be judged.
New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Canadians most likely to view marijuana legalization, COVID-19 response, and expansion of the social safety net through the Canada child benefit, dental care, and other programs, as the biggest accomplishments of Trudeau’s time in the nation’s top job. On the other end of the spectrum, they view immigration policy, handling of the inflation/cost of living crisis, and the federal carbon tax, as the biggest failures.
Overall, a majority (63%) of Canadians believe Trudeau tried to tackle the country’s biggest problems during his time in the prime minister’s office. But that majority is split as to whether he made progress on those issues (30%) or failed at ultimately addressing them (33%). One-in-five (22%) believe he actively worsened the issues the country is facing.
Amid this, one-quarter (26%) say they anticipate Trudeau being remembered as an above average prime minister, while the same number say he’ll be viewed as average. Others say he’ll be remembered worse, as below average (15%) or poor. These views are comparable to how Stephen Harper was looked upon as he left the post in 2015, with Canadians slightly more positive (+4) and negative (+4) about Trudeau than the former CPC leader.
Asked to describe what they’ll remember most about the near-decade that Trudeau led the country, the most common responses mention either the pandemic response or scandals like the SNC-Lavalin and WE Charity affairs.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Justin Trudeau’s political legacy is indeed under scrutiny, as his flagship policies like the dental plan and $10-a-day daycare he touts as successes when they were concessions extracted by the NDP to prop up his minority government, not bold initiatives he championed independently. This exposes a pattern of opportunism rather than principled leadership, undermining his claims of achievement. His touted wins were forced by political necessity, not vision—how can he claim credit for what others (NDP) demanded?”
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Under your theory, every minority government is opportunistic rather than principled, which to me seems to be a rather simplistic view. He’s greatly disliked, just like his father and Mulroney before him. In years to come this will wane, just as it has for his father and Mulroney.
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