Trudeau’s Challenges

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fell short on his gambit to capture a parliamentary majority in national elections and now faces demands from a left-wing rival party to shore up healthcare spending and raise taxes on the wealthy. Even though the Liberals have secured re-election, a minority result represents a setback for the party that forces Mr. Trudeau to rely on other parties to help implement a progressive agenda focused on expanded child care, affordable housing, and climate change. Polls show Mr. Trudeau’s popularity has waned even as his party has maintained solid approval ratings, with ethics scandals diminishing the 49-year-old prime minister’s support during his 6 years in power. While Canadians have given Mr. Trudeau high marks for managing the pandemic, the election results show that adequate pandemic management is no longer sufficient to win re-election in the post-Covid world.