Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a fireside chat at the APEC CEO Summit in Lima, Peru on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – Analysts say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will leave the world stage with a legacy of pushing for feminist causes and international rules, and criticism that his actions fell short of rhetoric.
Vina Nadjibulla, the research vice-president for the Asia Pacific Foundation, says Trudeau boosted Canada’s focus on the Indo-Pacific region but struggled to follow through on some of his stated goals.
She notes Canada also faced stark challenges in international relations, with the RCMP accusing Indian diplomats of criminal activity and rising competition between China and the U.S.
Roger Hilton, a Bratislava-based analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, says Trudeau has been vocal in standing up for Ukraine including with military training for the country’s soldiers.
But many Europeans felt Ottawa could have done more to counter Russia’s influence, from increased NATO spending to providing Ukraine with more advanced military aid, faster.
The Liberals failed to win a seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2020, years after criticizing their Conservative predecessors for losing a bid for the same position.
But Canada has been praised by development organizations for focusing on women and LGBTQ+ people in its aid projects abroad and encoding gender issues into trade agreements.
Canada is hosting the G7 this year, which Nadjibulla says is a “tremendous opportunity to exercise leadership and advance our interests” if Ottawa can articulate a coherent strategy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2025.
