Justin time?

Trudeau faces up to a pivotal moment

- Leyland Cecco

When he was pelted with a handful of gravel by anti-vaccine protesters last week, the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, joined an illustrious list of political leaders who have had things hurled at them by disgruntled citizens. His father, the former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, had stones (and tomatoes and eggs) thrown at his train carriage in the 1980s.

But the gravel incident has thrust the image of prime minister on the defensive to the forefront of an election that, for many, is both unwanted and has so far lacked a coherent theme.

Trudeau called the snap election in late August, prompting grumbling that the country would be casting ballots during the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic. He defended the move, saying that after weathering a deadly pandemic, Canadians should have a say in the country’s future.

“After making it through 17 months of nothing like we’ve ever experienced, Canadians deserve to choose what the next 17 months, what the next 17 years and beyond, will look like. And I know that we have the right plan, the right team, and the proven leadership to meet that moment,” he said. “So to the other parties: please explain why you don’t think Canadians should have the choice. Why you don’t think that this is a pivotal moment?”

The initial response was a collapse in the polls for the incumbent prime minister, who is seeking his third term after six years in office. Days before the country votes, numerous polls suggest that most Canadians don’t believe the election is necessary. Last weekend, Trudeau trailed the Conservative leader, Erin O’Toole, a former air force pilot, by an average of three points in national polls.