During his appearance on the set of the American show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked Monday night about his struggles in the polls and the possibility of a snap federal election.
“Your party is trailing by 17 points in the polls, and this week your rivals are considering a vote to possibly force you out of office. […] “What is their justification?” asked the host, after a few jokes about Canadian stereotypes.
The prime minister said Canadians are “suffering” because of the cost of living and a housing crisis that is more “acute” than in the United States. “We have lost some ground in recent decades in terms of housing construction,” he admitted.
Mr. Trudeau maintained, however, that the economy is doing better than that of the United States on a macroeconomic level, but that “people don’t feel it when they go shopping.”
“People are frustrated, and the idea that my opponents could take advantage of the situation to win an election is something they are banking on, because it’s understandable that people are angry with me. I’ve been there and I’ve guided the country through all these trials,” he explained to the host.
He assured that he intends to stay in office to continue his work. “People sometimes look for change, but in reality, I firmly believe that it is essential to continue to fight against climate change, to invest in people and support them. I will continue to fight,” he said.
The Prime Minister was invited to the Late Showrecorded in New York, where he is passing through to meet with leaders before the 78e meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.
Despite difficult polls and calls for his resignation, the Prime Minister has maintained for more than a year that he intends to remain leader of his party to face his opponent Pierre Poilievre in the next federal election.
He will return to Ottawa on Wednesday, the day his government will face a Conservative non-confidence motion in the House of Commons — the first such motion since the NDP ended its supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals.
The Conservatives are expected to table the motion in the House on Tuesday afternoon.