Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues to maintain his intention to remain leader of the Liberal Party following the Conservatives’ unexpected victory in last week’s Toronto-St. Paul by-election, but one Liberal MP told CBC News that some party members are considering leaving the party if he stays in.
The lawmaker, who spoke to CBC News on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about caucus dynamics, said several Liberal MPs are considering not running again if Trudeau remains leader.
He said some of his caucus colleagues believe Trudeau is so unpopular with Canadians that his continued leadership would mean the party would suffer a major defeat in the next federal election in 2025.
“At this point the prime minister’s leadership has been irreparably damaged and the public can no longer afford his time,” the lawmaker said.
Speaking at his first news conference since the by-elections on Wednesday, Trudeau said he was “negotiating” with MPs individually, but did not say whether he would meet in person with all party members.
“I don’t take last week’s by-election defeat lightly, but it was tough and we need to take it seriously. We have had many important conversations,” Trudeau said in Montreal.
“I’ve been on numerous calls with various MPs, not just in the GTA but across the country, talking about how we continue to work to stay connected to Canadians and continue to get results for them.”
Trudeau said he has spoken by phone with several party members across the country since the by-election defeat.
An anonymous Liberal MP who spoke to CBC News said the loss in the Toronto-St. Paul riding has left many MPs feeling anxious, with some asking Trudeau to make individual calls to all MPs, rather than just a few.
“In my view, the prime minister needs to start taking caucus meetings seriously – something that hasn’t happened since 2015,” he said.
“Any good general would make sure their soldiers are appreciated, but the lawmakers who are acting as soldiers in this case are not feeling that.”
But Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal MP for Winnipeg North, said he would only run in the next election if Trudeau remained leader.
“I’ve committed to Justin Trudeau that I will run in the next election. As long as he is leader, I will run,” Lamoureux told CBC News.
He said he was not panicked by last week’s defeat in a by-election, given his party’s experience in 2015, when it came third in the polls and later formed government.
Asked by reporters whether he planned to hold a national caucus with Liberal MPs to discuss his leadership, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the loss in the Toronto-St. Paul by-election had been “difficult.”
Conservative Don Stewart won the Toronto-St. Paul constituency with 42.1% of the vote to defeat Liberal candidate Leslie Church’s 40.4%. Prior to this result, a Conservative candidate had not been competitive in the constituency since the 1980s.
Since the loss, Trudeau has faced backlash from some in his party. Liberal MP for Calgary-Skyview, George Chahar, told colleagues in an email on Friday that he had co-signed a letter to Liberal caucus chair Brenda Shanahan calling for a face-to-face meeting in Ottawa.
Chahal said the letter was also signed by eight other lawmakers and that he would leave it to them to reveal their identities.
Trudeau said he was giving MPs the opportunity to discuss their concerns individually, but did not answer a question about holding in-person caucus meetings.
Trudeau argued Wednesday that he is the right leader to counter rising populism in Canada and elsewhere.
“Democracies around the world are facing challenges right now, whether you look at what’s happening in France or the elections in the United States,” he said.
Trudeau said democracy is being challenged by “the erosion of democratic principles and rights.”
One anonymous MP who spoke to CBC News said big policy changes alone won’t be enough to restore the party’s fortunes.
Instead, he said Trudeau should seriously consider stepping down and making way for a leader with less close ties, such as former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney.
A week after his by-election defeat, current and former Liberal MPs have called on Trudeau to step down as leader, first privately to journalists and now publicly.
Trudeau’s former environment minister, Catherine McKenna, became the first person to serve in Trudeau’s cabinet. Ask him to resign.
“The Liberal Party is not the party of one person. The values we stand for and improving the lives of Canadians are our mission,” she said in a media statement.
“The Prime Minister has a proud record, but it’s time for new ideas, new energy and new leadership.”
The Globe and Mail reported Thursday that two former MPs — Wayne Easter, who served in the House of Commons from 1993 to 2021, and John Manley, who served from 1988 to 2004 — also believe Trudeau should step down as leader. Former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould gave the Globe article a “+1” when it was published on X.
On Friday, Liberal MP Wayne Long became the first Liberal MP to publicly call for Trudeau’s resignation.
“The future of our party and the interest of our country require new leadership and a new direction,” the New Brunswick member wrote in an email to all 155 Liberal MPs last week.
“Voters have made it loud and clear that they want change, and I agree.”
Liberal MPs who spoke privately to CBC News said some MPs have not publicly called for Trudeau to resign because they don’t want to be removed from committees, lose their parliamentary secretary positions or have their nomination papers signed as a result of their comments.
“Trudeau is our leader,” Champagne said.
The prime minister said the Liberal MPs and members who called for his resignation were part of the “broad range of perspectives and opinions within the Liberal party” that gives the party its strength.
Other members of the party have openly supported Trudeau, including Nepean MP Chandra Arya, who has openly criticized the prime minister for slowing down reforms in the party. “The government is too left of center.”
“I reaffirm my trust and confidence in PMJT and look forward to fighting the next elections under his leadership,” he said in a social media post over the weekend.
Government Leader Karina Gould, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson were answering reporters’ questions about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership and whether caucus should meet before September to discuss last week’s poor results in by-elections.
Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told reporters at a separate event in Montreal on Wednesday that he still supports Trudeau being leader of the party.
“I’ve been very clear again that Prime Minister Trudeau is our leader and he’s led the team to get us results for Canadians,” Champagne said.
“The best way to win is to focus on Canadians. That has always been the recipe for success and will continue to be the case.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told supporters at a Liberal party fundraiser in Montreal on Wednesday that Trudeau has the “leadership skills” and “the ability to lead us to victory in the next election.”
Canadian Parliamentary Leader Karina Gould told reporters in Burlington, Ontario, on Wednesday that Trudeau “is the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.”
“I certainly support him and I think what we need to do as a team is focus on the issues that matter to Canadians and win the election,” she said.
