Justin Trudeau departed the Prime Minister’s Office with a smile and a casual wave goodbye to a crowd of angry Canadians who showed up to express their displeasure with his government for one last time.
Protesters waited for him to exit his downtown Ottawa office Friday, hurling expletives at him, accusing him of “treason” and yelling that he had “no legacy” to be proud of.
Trudeau has taken the departing reception in stride. A video of the former prime minister leaving Parliament carrying his chair and sticking his tongue out for the security camera went viral Tuesday, a common tradition for members of Parliament when they leave the Commons.
In his farewell address to Canadians, Trudeau stuck to the script, echoing a “team Canada” message.
Trudeau published a social media post Friday thanking Canada for “trusting” and “challenging” him.
“Thank you, Canada — for trusting in me, for challenging me, and for granting me the privilege to serve the best country, and the best people, on earth,” he said.
Much of Trudeau’s legacy will be marred by his scandals and broken promises.
His government’s overreaching response to the COVID-19 pandemic involved harsh vaccine mandates for federal public servants and anyone travelling by air or rail, not to mention border restrictions including mandatory usage of the costly ArriveCAN app.
Trudeau’s handling of the pandemic ultimately led to protests en masse in Ottawa with the Freedom Convoy in 2022 which he controversially invoked the Emergencies Act – the first time the extreme legislation was used – to quash.
A federal court later ruled its use unreasonable and unconstitutional.
He also had a storied history revolving around various conflicts of interest from the infamous SNC-Lavalin scandal and “cash for access” fundraising, which linked him to prominent foreign influencers as well as receiving gifts and vacations from wealthy outsiders.
While he trumped himself as an outspoken feminist, Trudeau demoted or fired competent female ministers who dared to question his authority, including Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott.
Former deputy prime minister and longtime Trudeau loyalist Chrystia Freeland was also asked to step down from her role by Trudeau’s in December, ultimately leading her to resign from his cabinet altogether.
Trudeau also turned on his own supporters by reneging on promises like electoral reform, providing clean drinking water to Indigenous communities and pledging to plant millions of trees.
On the economic front, Trudeau’s strong environmental stance such as the emissions cap and net zero targets kept much of Canada’s fossil fuel industry in a stranglehold for nearly a decade.
News of his resignation sparked renewed interest in Canadian energy projects.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith secured a major liquefied natural gas deal with Japan earlier this week, despite Trudeau previously claiming there was no viable “business case” for such agreements.
However, his departure has been met with widespread relief from many Canadians who point to the wreckage he’s left behind.
“His judgement day won’t come soon enough,” wrote one X user.
“I question whether 10 years of Trudeau Canada is able to come back at this point with the aftermath or what he’s done..# find a way Canada!” wrote another.
Another user wrote, “Go, but let your failures teach our youth that our mistake in electing you doesn’t have to be their future. We’ll right this ship and help our children by voting conservative, cutting taxes, and stopping the onslaught of unchecked immigration. I hope to never hear your name!”