MONT-TREMBLANT, Quebec — A nationalist party from Quebec announced on Tuesday its intention to collaborate with other opposition parties in Canada’s Parliament to bring down the minority government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Currently, Trudeau’s Liberal Party holds only 153 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons, and they are required to secure support from opposition parties in order to advance any legislation. As the approaching parliamentary election looms, Trudeau is aiming for a fourth consecutive term; however, recent polling indicates that his party is lagging behind the Conservatives, amidst growing discontent among Canadians over escalating living costs following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yves-François Blanchet, the leader of the Bloc Québécois, stated that Trudeau’s “days are numbered” after the Liberal Party did not acquiesce to his request for an increase in old age security payments for seniors. Nonetheless, to successfully unseat Trudeau, the Bloc will need to count on the support of the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) along with the Conservatives, both of whom have a vested interest in prompting an election.

Although the NDP has been backing Trudeau’s government, their leader recently declared that their support would hinge on the specifics of individual bills. Last week, Trudeau confirmed his commitment to lead the Liberal Party into the next federal election, which could potentially occur anytime between this fall and October 2025. He dismissed calls from some party members who suggested he should step aside. Additionally, the Liberal Party has faced surprising defeats in recent special elections within two Toronto and Montreal districts that have long been under their control, raising concerns regarding the prime minister’s leadership capabilities.

In the most recent Nanos Research poll, the Conservatives are leading with 39% of the vote, while the Liberals trail with 26% and the NDP sits at 20%. This poll, based on responses from 1,047 individuals, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, as reported by a Canadian public opinion and research agency.

Nelson Wiseman, an emeritus professor at the University of Toronto, noted that the NDP is hesitant to push for an election at this time, fearing it might struggle to maintain its current seats. He suggested that their best hope is for the unpopular Trudeau to remain in power, allowing the NDP the opportunity to surpass the Liberals in future polls.

Trudeau previously captured the national spotlight, especially during the 2015 elections, when he heralded a renewed liberal identity after nearly a decade of Conservative governance. However, the son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau now finds himself in a precarious situation.

Remarkably, no Canadian prime minister has succeeded in winning four consecutive terms in over a century.