Nearly a decade in power marks a long enough period, and for Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the period has seen quite a dramatic falling from grace. Once hailed as the country's 'golden boy,' the 53-year-old leader now sees widespread discontent coupled with many Canadian voices that do not support him.

On January 6, 2025, Trudeau confirmed what many had been expecting: he would leave office as soon as the Liberal Party has a new leader—the end for one of the longest-serving leaders. But what can be the reason behind this drastic change in public opinion? 

Let's analyze it further and see why Trudeau has turned out to be one of Canada's least favorite leaders of all time.

Trudeau's popularity in decline: What went wrong?

To many, the resignation of Trudeau did not come as a surprise as his approval ratings had fallen to new lows and his party had been pushing him to step down ahead of the general elections scheduled for 2025. Toronto resident Rob Gwett, while commenting to AFP, expressed the sentiments of many: "He should have resigned over a year ago," but still, "better late than never.”

According to Canada's Angus Reid Institute, in the Trudeau Tracker, his ratings have dropped as low as 22% as compared to their peak of 65% in September 2016.

Further, Ipsos Canada conducted a poll to emphasize the further decline in support that Trudeau is getting. His party, the Liberals, was even behind the party led by Pierre Poilievre, the Conservatives, which gathered 45%, while the party led by Justin Trudeau, the Liberal Party, received only 26%.

In fact, a survey conducted last July labeled Trudeau as the worst prime minister in over half a century, a testament to the deep-seated dissatisfaction with his leadership.

What made Canada frustrated?

He stormed into power in 2015, as a symbol of progress and modernity. However, over the years, a string of controversies peppered with economic missteps made a change in how people perceived him.

Trudeau's controversies: scandals that shook his  image

During his tenure, several high-profile controversies blemished the reputation of this otherwise dashing Canadian politician.

The first major scandal took place in December 2017, when the ethics commissioner of Canada determined that Trudeau had breached conflict-of-interest rules by accepting vacation gifts, flights, and other perks from the Aga Khan Foundation. It was the first time a sitting prime minister had been found guilty of such a transgression. Trudeau apologized, promising to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

But that was not all. In 2018, his state visit to India was infamous not for its diplomatic importance but for the pictures of Trudeau and his family in traditional Indian attire, making the trip more of a photo shoot than a serious political engagement.

Things got worse when Khalistan separatist Jaspal Atwal, a man convicted of attempting to murder a Punjab minister, attended official events during the trip.

Another scandal hit back against Trudeau's leadership in 2019: former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould accused government officials of pressuring her to interfere in the prosecution of the construction company SNC-Lavalin.

These scandals led to the resignation of two women from cabinet: Treasury Board President Jane Philpott and Wilson-Raybould. These two played big roles in his cabinet. That was a severe blow to his feminist image since two very famous women left his government.

The 'Blackface' incident of 2019 further added to Trudeau's woes. During his election campaign, images emerged showing him in blackface during his younger years, which sparked outrage and forced Trudeau to publicly apologize and express regret.

In 2021, his acts drew more criticism when he was seen surfing on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. This day is supposed to be a day of remembrance of Indigenous children taken to residential schools.

Recently, the Trudeau government received flak after a Nazi veteran was applauded in the Canadian parliament, causing uproar at home and abroad in 2023.

The Covid-19 crisis and the trucker protests

Another heavy source of criticism for Trudeau was in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, especially about how he handled his response to the Freedom Convoy protests. What started as a protest against a vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers eventually ballooned into one of the biggest protests in Canadian history. Trudeau used the Emergencies Act to regain control after using it for the first time ever in its existence as the protests continued. In January 2024, though, a judge ruled that Trudeau's use of the act was unconstitutional, further denting his credibility.

Economic struggles under Trudeau's leadership

Another area in which Trudeau has come under heavy criticism is the economic aspect. Many Canadians point to his 2014 comment that the national budget would "balance itself" and his 2021 remark about not thinking about monetary policy, which both raised questions about his comprehension of economic issues.

Under his leadership, Canada has gone through several economic problems, the latest of which is a grave housing crisis. At the time that Trudeau assumed office as prime minister in 2015, the average house price was $446,000. In 2022, that price had surged to $732,000 and reached an all-time high of $834,000 in March of that year. The rapid surges have been attributed to the failure to provide for supply shortages, especially given that Canada's population has been rising, partly as a result of increased immigration.

However, Canada's economy itself has also experienced growth stagnation, greater government debt, and higher inflation rates. Since Trudeau assumed office, inflation has been higher than when the man he succeeded was the head of state. Averaged from 2016 to 2024, inflation is higher at 2.7%, a figure more than double the 1.69% that was previously realized when he was in charge. In 2022, inflation reached its highest level since over 30 years ago, exceeding 6% before it gradually declined.

Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, in her resignation in December, criticized Trudeau's economic policies, accusing him of prioritizing short-term political gains over preparing Canada for future challenges, such as possible import tariffs from the United States.

Diplomatic struggles and international fallout

Another aspect of criticism in the context of foreign policy relates to the diplomacy led by Trudeau. Key cases are those where he engages and manages the relations between India and Canada. It was in the limelight recently when Trudeau publicly called out New Delhi for killing Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi rejected the statement, and there are plenty of Canadians who walk around claiming that Trudeau is soft on Khalistan separatists who stay in Canada.

In addition, he has been criticized for mishandling the issue of Chinese interference in Canadian elections, where allegations emerged that Chinese influence played a role in both the 2019 and 2021 elections. The issue remains unresolved despite calls for an inquiry and casts a shadow over Trudeau's foreign policy record.

It will be the decade of lost opportunities and festering discontent for Justin Trudeau as he prepares to pass the torch. From scandals to economic hardships and even diplomatic blunders, his tenure in office is dotted with steady erosion of public trust in him.