Former Top Adviser Gerald Butts Believes Trudeau’s Resignation Was Expected

While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau enjoys his holiday break and contemplates his future, his former top adviser Gerald Butts suggested that he may soon be stepping down.

Butts, who now works at the think tank Eurasia Group, wrote an article on Dec. 27 analyzing the recent political events surrounding Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from cabinet and the future of the Liberal Party.

Butts opposed the idea of the Liberal caucus simply appointing Freeland as the new leader after her dramatic resignation on Dec. 16, just hours before she was set to deliver the Fall Economic Statement.

Freeland made her resignation letter to Trudeau public, accusing him of using “costly political gimmicks” instead of being fiscally responsible in anticipation of a trade war with the upcoming U.S. administration. She also stated that Trudeau was removing her from the finance portfolio.

Butts claimed that Freeland’s team believes she will be rewarded with Trudeau’s position after alerting the Prime Minister to issues that were endangering the party’s electoral prospects.

“I’m not so sure,” he added.

While Freeland tried to distance herself from Trudeau in her resignation letter, Butts noted that their political paths have been closely intertwined for a long time.

“Chrystia Freeland was the first person recruited to Team Trudeau to help shape that agenda and make it real for people,” Butts referenced the Liberal Party’s 2015 return to power with promises to support the middle class.

Butts, who served as principal secretary to Trudeau from 2015 to 2019, admitted he did not foresee the partnership between Freeland and Trudeau ending in such a manner.

This development has increased the likelihood that Trudeau won’t lead the Liberal Party in the next election, according to Butts, with elections potentially happening sooner and a Conservative majority becoming more probable.

Trudeau and Freeland have essentially returned their party to a similar vulnerable position it was in before, according to Butts. The Liberals had only 34 seats in the 2011 election after the NDP “orange wave.”

Running Again

Freeland has not spoken to the media since Dec. 16 but stated in her resignation letter that she will run in the next election, unlike other ministers who have left cabinet recently and plan to retire from federal politics after the next election.

Trudeau has not made any public comments about his future but reports from MPs after a Liberal caucus meeting on Dec. 16 suggest that he is taking time to reflect on the situation.

Pressure has been mounting on Trudeau to resign since the Liberal Party lost key ridings to the Tories in Toronto and Montreal in byelections earlier this year.

This led to a revolt within the caucus in October, with 23 MPs requesting Trudeau’s resignation. Reports now indicate that more MPs want him to step down.

Some Liberal MPs, like Anthony Housefather, are urging Trudeau to resign to avoid making the next federal election solely about him. Polls show the Liberals trailing the Tories by over 20 points, putting the Conservatives in a strong position for a majority.

Trudeau has multiple options to consider regarding his resignation or continuation, one of which is the prorogation of Parliament. Opposition parties are eager to bring down the government once the House of Commons reconvenes on Jan. 27.