Members of Trudeau's party urge him to 'reflect,' then step down
During a three-hour meeting centered on his leadership, Canada's prime minister faced a barrage of feedback.
TroibNews 
OTTAWA, Canada — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described his Liberal Party as “united” after a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, despite calls from two dozen members of his caucus for him to resign.
Sources indicated that 24 lawmakers from the 152-member caucus backed a statement urging Trudeau to decide on his future by Oct. 28.
The Liberal Party expects Trudeau to spend the upcoming days “reflecting” on the feedback he received. During the three-hour session, around 50 elected members spoke up, with about 30 advocating for his departure.
PMG granted anonymity to these sources to enable them to share their thoughts on the sensitive topic.
“The Liberal Party is strong and united,” Trudeau stated as he left the meeting, declining to comment further on his future.
Liberal MP Wayne Long, who was the first member to publicly call for Trudeau's resignation earlier this year, maintained his stance. “I think he still needs to step down,” Long remarked. “Hopefully the prime minister will reflect on what was said.”
Those in the party seeking Trudeau's departure do not seem to harbor personal animosity toward him or disagree with his policies. Instead, they feel his personality has become a distraction, leading the public to tune him out.
There is currently no system in place that allows caucus members to force Trudeau to resign, which has left some Members of Parliament frustrated as they seek ways to persuade him.
On Wednesday, they presented their statement and aim to rally further support in the coming weeks.
MP Sean Casey, who endorsed the statement, stated that Trudeau needs to resign but would not divulge specifics from the meeting. He believes that a sense of finality “will become evident” moving forward.
Trudeau faces significant political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has led national opinion polls for over a year by tapping into public dissatisfaction over Canada’s housing crisis, rising crime rates, and inflation-related financial burdens.
“All you have to do is look at polling. The Liberal Party has obviously fallen out of favor with the public,” noted MP Ken McDonald, another signatory of the statement.
While the Bank of Canada announced an interest rate cut on Wednesday, which officials argue signifies a stronger economic recovery than that of other G7 countries, substantial new housing spending and grocery rebate checks have not quelled voter calls for change.
Liberals have recognized that they received a clear message when they lost two historic strongholds in Toronto and Montreal during recent by-elections, prompting concern among MPs about potential devastation in the upcoming election, anticipated within the next year.
Trudeau's Cabinet maintains that he remains the best candidate to challenge Poilievre, framing the Conservative leader as a threat to democracy by comparing him to “Maple MAGA” or "Canada’s Donald Trump." However, efforts to link him to the former president have not shifted public sentiment in national polls.
Some MPs believe that the party should initiate an advertising campaign to improve their standing.
“My colleagues need to turn the knives outwards and not inwards, and need to focus on the most important thing, which is getting things done in Parliament,” Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith remarked after the meeting. “And taking the fight to Pierre Poilievre because he’s a disaster to this country.”
Internal discussions regarding Trudeau's leadership have intensified amid a recent stall in government business within the House of Commons, attributed to Conservative demands for documents tied to a conflict-of-interest scandal.
Opposition leaders have been questioning Trudeau's capability to govern effectively, given the infighting within his party.
Further discussions about Trudeau's leadership are expected in the coming days, but as of now, no MP has expressed willingness to sit as an independent or vote against government bills to show their dissent.
Nevertheless, McDonald mentioned that he might consider voting with the Conservative Party if Trudeau remains in office.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
Sources indicated that 24 lawmakers from the 152-member caucus backed a statement urging Trudeau to decide on his future by Oct. 28.
The Liberal Party expects Trudeau to spend the upcoming days “reflecting” on the feedback he received. During the three-hour session, around 50 elected members spoke up, with about 30 advocating for his departure.
PMG granted anonymity to these sources to enable them to share their thoughts on the sensitive topic.
“The Liberal Party is strong and united,” Trudeau stated as he left the meeting, declining to comment further on his future.
Liberal MP Wayne Long, who was the first member to publicly call for Trudeau's resignation earlier this year, maintained his stance. “I think he still needs to step down,” Long remarked. “Hopefully the prime minister will reflect on what was said.”
Those in the party seeking Trudeau's departure do not seem to harbor personal animosity toward him or disagree with his policies. Instead, they feel his personality has become a distraction, leading the public to tune him out.
There is currently no system in place that allows caucus members to force Trudeau to resign, which has left some Members of Parliament frustrated as they seek ways to persuade him.
On Wednesday, they presented their statement and aim to rally further support in the coming weeks.
MP Sean Casey, who endorsed the statement, stated that Trudeau needs to resign but would not divulge specifics from the meeting. He believes that a sense of finality “will become evident” moving forward.
Trudeau faces significant political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who has led national opinion polls for over a year by tapping into public dissatisfaction over Canada’s housing crisis, rising crime rates, and inflation-related financial burdens.
“All you have to do is look at polling. The Liberal Party has obviously fallen out of favor with the public,” noted MP Ken McDonald, another signatory of the statement.
While the Bank of Canada announced an interest rate cut on Wednesday, which officials argue signifies a stronger economic recovery than that of other G7 countries, substantial new housing spending and grocery rebate checks have not quelled voter calls for change.
Liberals have recognized that they received a clear message when they lost two historic strongholds in Toronto and Montreal during recent by-elections, prompting concern among MPs about potential devastation in the upcoming election, anticipated within the next year.
Trudeau's Cabinet maintains that he remains the best candidate to challenge Poilievre, framing the Conservative leader as a threat to democracy by comparing him to “Maple MAGA” or "Canada’s Donald Trump." However, efforts to link him to the former president have not shifted public sentiment in national polls.
Some MPs believe that the party should initiate an advertising campaign to improve their standing.
“My colleagues need to turn the knives outwards and not inwards, and need to focus on the most important thing, which is getting things done in Parliament,” Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith remarked after the meeting. “And taking the fight to Pierre Poilievre because he’s a disaster to this country.”
Internal discussions regarding Trudeau's leadership have intensified amid a recent stall in government business within the House of Commons, attributed to Conservative demands for documents tied to a conflict-of-interest scandal.
Opposition leaders have been questioning Trudeau's capability to govern effectively, given the infighting within his party.
Further discussions about Trudeau's leadership are expected in the coming days, but as of now, no MP has expressed willingness to sit as an independent or vote against government bills to show their dissent.
Nevertheless, McDonald mentioned that he might consider voting with the Conservative Party if Trudeau remains in office.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
