Young Canadians squeezed by housing turn away from Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau swept to power in 2015 with the help of younger Canadians captivated by his positive messaging and socially progressive views. That same group of voters may eventually be his undoing.

Trudeau’s chief rival, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, has been making huge gains with younger voters since he began attacking the prime minister forcefully on the cost of housing. In public opinion polling, the Conservatives now lead Trudeau’s Liberal Party by a 2-to-1 ratio among voters 18 to 29.

It’s been a dramatic fall for a prime minister who was the second-youngest ever to take office, who pledged to address youth issues and even appointed himself youth minister. While he fulfilled promises to legalize recreational cannabis and implement stronger climate policies, those issues have fallen down the list of priorities for young people.

One number helps illustrate his problem with voters in their twenties: 60 per cent. That’s the increase in national home prices since he took office.