ottawa –
Another week brings many more pressing challenges to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership of both the country and the Liberal Party.
The prime minister, whose presence as party leader has drawn criticism and calls for his resignation from within the party, faces two deadlines in the coming days. One submission is from Liberal MPs calling for the prime minister to resign, the other from the Bloc Quebecois calling for his resignation. He is threatening to trigger early elections.
Dissatisfaction with Trudeau’s leadership has been growing in recent months, with approval ratings still sluggish and two recent by-election losses in the party’s longtime strongholds.
At Wednesday’s Liberal Party caucus meeting, 24 MPs delivered a letter to the prime minister calling for his resignation and giving him until Monday to respond.
Prime Minister Trudeau told the MPs he would reflect on what he had said during the three-hour meeting, but told reporters the next day that he intended to remain Liberal leader.
“We’re going to continue to have great conversations about what’s the best way to challenge Pierre Poièvre in the next election, but that’s going to happen to me as a leader going into the next election,” he said. . Liberal Party members gathered at the press conference applauded.
Liberal MP Sean Casey, who signed the letter, told reporters late Thursday that he would “move forward” following the prime minister’s comments.
“This was a decision that he had the right to make, and he made it. I did my job by voicing what I heard from my constituents,” Casey said.
“Now I have to spend my energy coaching them on winning my seat, not on internal party issues. As far as I’m concerned, that’s over.”
Lori Turnbull, a political science professor at Dalhousie University, said the challenge for opposition Liberal MPs is that they can’t do anything to get the prime minister to change his mind.
“The problem is that there is no ‘or else’ but to voluntarily leave the caucus, or vote to overthrow the government, or both,” Mr Turnbull said.
“That would mean they would engineer an election with Mr. Trudeau as their leader, which is not what they want.”
Meanwhile, the bloc has given the Liberal government two bills to pass by Tuesday that would increase superannuation benefits for seniors and strengthen supply management.
If the Liberals do not respond, Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet said the party would begin talks with other opposition parties to oust the minority government.
A majority of Liberals earlier this month voted against a block motion calling on the government to give a royal recommendation to a bill that would increase pensions by 10% for people under 75.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2024.
