Trudeau battles for survival after deputy PM resigns

New calls for Canadian leader to quit as he faces first open dissent from within Cabinet

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OTTAWA - The bombshell resignation of Canada's deputy prime minister is spurring new calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose rock-bottom popularity is plummeting further amid opposition attacks and US President-elect Donald Trump's tariff threats.

Ms Chrystia Freeland, after nearly a decade of being at Mr Trudeau's side, made the surprise announcement on Dec 17, after disagreeing with him over Trump's tariff proposals.

The move marked the first open dissent against Mr Trudeau from within his Cabinet and has emboldened his critics.

"As a country, we have to project strength and unity, and it's chaos right now up in Ottawa," commented Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

When the news broke, Canada's provincial premiers were meeting over Trump's threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports.

"This is not the best time to have a (power) vacuum," Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said.

"I'd be looking at this wondering who the next leader is going to be" and whether the domestic political upheaval will derail Canada's approach to Trump, Ms Smith added.

In her resignation letter, Ms Freeland, who was also finance minister, said the country faces a "grave challenge".