Canadians can expect to head to the polls some time in 2025 in a federal election, when a new government, with a new prime minister, will be elected.

No matter which party will lead the country, the prime minister will no longer be Justin Trudeau, who has held that role for more than nine years. At the start of January, Trudeau announced his plans to step down from the role, and from the leadership of the Liberal Party.

The new leader, whoever they may be, deserves better treatment from the Canadian public than Trudeau received during his time as prime minister.

During his time as prime minister, Trudeau was called out and harshly criticized, especially in Western Canada.

The criticism included his policy decisions, such as cannabis legalization, federal spending, COVID-19 restrictions, pandemic-related assistance and more. He was also criticized for his government91裸聊视频檚 lack of action on electoral reform, which had earlier been one of his stated priorities.

This part was fair, as opposition parties and voters need to hold their leaders to account.

Trudeau91裸聊视频檚 response to the We charity scandal, the SNC-Lavalin affair and other issues within the government also were concerns for many. And in the weeks leading up to his Jan. 6 announcement to step down, his leadership came under question, as voices from within his caucus were increasingly vocal of their criticism about his abilities.

If the criticisms of Trudeau and his government had remained focused on these items, the prime minister would have been judged harshly but fairly.

However, some of the anti-Trudeau sentiment veered from policies and leadership issues and delved into character attacks instead.

There was an unprecedented level of vitriol and hate directed at the man, particularly in Western Canada. Anti-Trudeau slogans showed up on trucks across the west, and expressions of disgust were seldom kept hidden.

Part of the anti-Trudeau sentiment in Western Canada came as a result of his father, Pierre Trudeau, who served as Canada91裸聊视频檚 prime minister from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984.

The elder Trudeau was loathed in the West, and that sentiment continues today. However, the present prime minister is not the same as his father. The elder Trudeau, who died in 2000, had last been involved in Canadian politics 31 years before his son became prime minister.

Criticisms that the younger Trudeau was out of touch with the public were raised throughout his time in the prime minister91裸聊视频檚 office.

The younger Trudeau was also saddled with the aftereffects of mistakes he made years before entering federal politics. One of these, the brownface incident, occurred in 2001, while he was a teacher at West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver. He was 29 at the time.

The incident was bad form and needed to be called out. 

While Trudeau offered statements of regret, these statements were disregarded by his critics. His past failures were seen as permanent stains, with no chance of redemption or change.

Elected officials need to be held to a high standard, but if the standard is impossible to attain, then something is wrong. And if a leader is judged because of their family rather than because of their accomplishments, the evaluation will not be fair.

Canada91裸聊视频檚 next leader will not finish his or her time in office with a perfect track record. And he or she will have a past, with some mistakes, regrets and errors in judgment along the way.

What will matter most is how the next prime minister manages to lead the country during some challenging times to come.

John Arendt is the editor of the Summerland Review.