Polling shows majority of Canadians back Trudeau’s resignation

A new poll indicates that while the majority of Canadians support Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to step down, his announcement has had little impact on the Liberal Party’s standing.

According to an Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News and released on January 8, 81% of Canadians are in favour of Trudeau’s resignation, with more than half of respondents (over 50%) expressing strong approval, per Caliber.Az.

Trudeau announced his decision to step aside earlier this week, stating that if he is forced to fight internal battles, he cannot be the best option for the upcoming election. Despite this, his resignation has not led to a significant boost in the Liberals’ prospects. Support for the party has dropped by 1%, now sitting at 20% — a figure nearly identical to polling done in late December.

The Ipsos poll also revealed that support for the Conservative Party has risen by 2%, from 44% to 46%, since the December 20 polling. Meanwhile, the New Democratic Party (NDP) has seen a decline, now at 17% among decided voters, down from 20% the previous month.

When asked if they would consider voting for the Liberals in the next election now that Trudeau has resigned, 57% of Canadians said they were unlikely to do so, while only 23% said they would consider voting for the party.

The poll comes just two days after Trudeau’s announcement that he plans to step down as both Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader. Prior to his resignation, Trudeau had faced increasing pressure from both within his party and from opposition groups to step down.

Despite the lack of movement in the Liberals' fortunes, the Ipsos poll showed overwhelming support for Trudeau’s decision. Among all Canadians, 81% expressed approval of his resignation, while 70% of Liberal supporters agreed with his decision. However, 19% of Canadians overall and 30% of Liberal voters disapproved of Trudeau stepping down.

By Tamilla Hasanova