Description-What options does PM Trudeau face in Canada’s leadership crisis? By Reuters

Written by David Ljunggren

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is increasingly announcing his intention to step down, although he has not yet made a final decision, a source familiar with Trudeau’s thinking said.

Trudeau has been under increasing pressure to resign since Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned over policy conflicts.

Trudeau’s departure will leave the party without a full-time leader at a time when polls show the Liberals will lose badly to the official opposition Conservatives in elections due to be held in late October.

Here are some possible ways forward in Canada:

WHAT HAPPENS IF TRUDEAU LEAVES?

If Trudeau resigns, the Liberals will appoint an interim leader to take over as prime minister while the party sets up a special leadership conference. The challenge facing the party is that these conferences usually take months to organize and if elections happen before the time, the Liberals will be in the hands of a prime minister who cannot be appointed by the members. This has never happened in Canada. The Liberals could try to hold a shorter meeting than usual, but this could cause protests from candidates who feel this puts them at a disadvantage.

There is no way that Freeland can be elected as prime minister permanently, as tradition says that a temporary leader is not fit to lead the party.

CAN TRUDEAU BE BOUND BY HIS LIBERAL PARTY?

Unlike in Britain, where party leaders are elected by a parliamentary caucus and can be quickly removed, the Liberal leader is elected by a special assembly of members. So there is no official party mechanism to remove Trudeau if he wants to stay.

That being said, if members of his cabinet and a number of legislators tell him to go, he may conclude that his position is untenable.

CAN TRUDEAU BE FORCED BY PARLIAMENT?

Canadian governments must demonstrate that they trust the elected chamber of the House of Commons. Votes on the budget and other spending are considered measures of confidence and if the government loses one, it collapses. In almost all cases, the election campaign begins immediately.

The House of Commons went on winter break in December and will be back until Jan. 27. The government can use countermeasures to avoid spending cuts but should allocate a few days to the opposition in each session if it can. revealing proposals on any matter, including antitrust.

Assuming the government gives opposition dates at the end of the session, the most likely time for Trudeau to be demoted will be in the last 10 days of March. This will trigger an election sometime in May.

IS THERE NO OTHER WAY TRUDEAU CAN BE FORCED?

The ultimate constitutional authority in Canada rests with Governor General Mary Simon, who represents King Charles, the head of state. In theory he could unseat Trudeau, but in real life this would not happen. “The governor-general will not fire a prime minister who is trusted by the Commons,” said Philippe Lagasse, a professor and constitutional expert at Ottawa’s Carleton University.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO AVOID eviction?

Trudeau could move parliament forward, which would officially end the current session and give him some breathing room. Under this scenario, the return of the House will be delayed by several weeks, which will allow the government to present a new plan on how it plans to govern the country. This would have the potential to reverse any no-confidence motion, but it could anger Liberal lawmakers, especially if Trudeau becomes prime minister.