Mark Slapinski
Over 216,000 people have signed an online petition demanding the resignation of Canada’s prime minister, as well as a permanent end to lockdowns. The petition is addressed to the Canadian House of Commons, all MPs, and the Governor General.
A petition launched approximately two years ago by an anonymous individual has recently gained momentum. The petition accuses Trudeau of violating people’s Charter rights, reading:
“We, the undersigned citizens of Canada … demand that Justin Trudeau step down as Prime Minister and as Leader of the Federal Liberal Party. We, the undersigned citizens of Canada have lost confidence in him as Canada’s Prime Minister and we feel he no longer serves the best interests of Canadians.”
Trudeau has been under fire since the pandemic began, with critics blaming him for restrictive lockdowns and vaccine mandates. Even the mainstream media has reported Canadians are growing tired of Covid restrictions. Recent polling suggests Canadians are not as supportive of lockdowns as they previously were. This comes as Trudeau faces criticism for likening unvaccinated people to “racists” and “misogynists.” In addition, the leader of the BC Libertarian Party has moved to file hate crime charges against the Prime Minister.
While the petition moves like a virus through social media, some people were not as enthusiastic, with one person writing: “I think it’s hilarious that people think a … petition actually has any influence on actual politics. It literally has zero effect, and nobody even sees or reads them. They carry no legal weight whatsoever.” Which is true, elected officials don’t have a legal obligation to respond to online petitions in Canada. But that won’t stop people from trying.
