The federal Liberal Party convened an emergency caucus meeting on Monday night as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced new demands from some members of his party to resign.
Liberal MPs from across the country gathered in a room in Parliament House as politicians and political observers dealt with the shock of Chrystia Freeland’s sudden resignation and publication of a scathing letter to the prime minister.
The loss of the deputy prime minister and the chaotic development of the government’s autumn economic statement have consequently reignited questions about the viability of the embattled prime minister’s continued leadership.
Trudeau attended the caucus meeting, having just visited Rideau Hall to swear in longtime ally Dominic LeBlanc as the new finance minister. Cameras in the pool captured shots of him talking to MPs through the room’s window. When we entered, it seemed like there was applause.
It’s unclear exactly what Prime Minister Trudeau meant, as he has not yet responded to questions from reporters.
After the meeting, Prime Minister Trudeau was seen making his way to his motorcade and did not comment, but he did not make any comment as several protesters yelled at him, saying he had “ruined our country.” wished them good night.
Late Monday night, speaking at a holiday party for the Liberal Party’s top donors, Trudeau finally addressed the uproar.
“It’s obviously been an eventful day. It hasn’t been an easy day, but I wanted to be here tonight and talk to all of you dedicated and dedicated Liberal members, because not me or any other politician. , because you’re getting your heart pumping about this movement,” Trudeau said.
“It is the absolute privilege of my life to serve as the prime minister of our country,” he added, to cheers and applause.
Prime Minister Trudeau also urged Liberal supporters to enjoy the holiday, recharge and prepare to show Canadians that “we have a serious, positive vision for the future of this great country that is worth fighting for.” He begged them to do so.
‘We are not united’: Liberal MP
Sources said Mr Freeland, who had indicated in his letter that he intended to remain as a Liberal MP, was also present and received a standing ovation upon his arrival. Dressed in purple, she didn’t stop to talk to reporters as she entered and exited.
Caucus members showed up about an hour into the meeting, but few would comment on whether the prime minister had indicated he intended to stay in office or whether Trudeau still had support.
Those who did speak out gave mixed messages.
Ontario Liberal MP James Mulroney told reporters the prime minister still had the confidence of his caucus, but Ontario Liberal MP Chad Collins said that was not the case.
“I’m not going to break any secrecy about what happened in the caucus, but I can tell you that we are not united,” he said. “There are still many members who feel there needs to be a change in leadership, and I am one of them.”
“We fear what Mr. Poilievre’s ‘Make Canada Great Again’ agenda will mean for voters. The only way forward for us is to elect new leaders and adopt a different vision.” “I think it’s about presenting Canadians with a new plan.”
Ahead of the meeting, some Liberal MPs who had previously publicly called on Trudeau to resign said developments showed the prime minister had “reached the end of his life”.
“If the prime minister stays in office, I think he’ll be the voting question. Before any Canadian asks anything else, they say, ‘Do we want Justin Trudeau to stay prime minister or not?’ ” Anthony Housefather said in an interview. Vassie Kapelos, chief political correspondent for CTV News.
“In the age of social media, incumbents have a certain lifespan, but I believe the prime minister has passed that lifespan. And for Canadians to have a real choice at the table…there will be another one with a different vision.” “We need a leader for the Liberal Party to survive the next election,” said the Quebec Liberal MP.
Housefather had asked Trudeau to resign several months ago, both in writing and at a caucus meeting.
Ontario Liberal MP Helena Jacek, a former cabinet minister and now self-described “loyal” who attended alongside Trudeau and had previously called for a secret vote on Trudeau’s leadership, agreed.
“I’ve been watching what’s been going on in both parliament and caucus over the last few months…we’re not able to advance Liberal Party policy in a constructive way,” she said.
“We were hoping to work on a future platform to talk about how we want to support Canadians and move forward in the next election. But that just hasn’t happened.”
Mr Jacek said he felt in the election that voters were no longer listening to the Liberal Party because the prime minister “doesn’t represent what I want in a leader”.
New Brunswick Liberal MP Wayne Long reacted to Premier Freeland’s “bold” move in deciding to leave the cabinet, calling it “a devastating blow to the premier” and that Freeland is now He said this meant he should resign immediately.
“It’s time to go,” he said. “I think we’ll give him a suspended sentence and then we’ll have a leadership contest.”
Mr Long noted that Mr Freeland was only the latest of several senior Liberals to resign from cabinet, adding: “I believe the prime minister reads the room, listens to his colleagues and listens to his constituents.” “It’s time to lean back and look at the polls that have been static for a long time.” year. “
Some people still trust Prime Minister Trudeau.
Despite these comments from their colleagues, many Liberal MPs continue to express confidence in Trudeau and say their focus is on governing.
“We know that President Trump will be inaugurated on January 20th. It is our duty, and we owe it to Canadians, our families, our friends, and all Canadians to be as best prepared as possible.” Yes, to make sure that everything is ready so that we can stand up for Canada,” said Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne after Monday night’s meeting.
Chief of Staff Ruby Sahota said Trudeau still has “full support.” Asked if he thought Trudeau was weakened by the events, he said, “That’s all I’m saying.”
As Ontario Liberal MP John MacKay said before his caucus, some think “there probably needs to be some explanation.”
“There’s a lot of hearsay, speculation and gossip,” Liberal MP David McGuinty, chairman of the parliamentary committee on national security and intelligence, told reporters.
Asked if he thought Prime Minister Trudeau should resign, he said, “I think the prime minister should look at his actions, look at his caucus, meet with us and have a discussion. That way, he should look at how far he’s going.” We’ll see if we get there.”
Health Minister Mark Holland said he was “not prepared to say anything” when asked about the meeting, adding: “There is a lot to learn today.”
“I’m here for the long term,” Holland added during a question about his political future. Prime Minister Trudeau did not respond to a question about whether he should remain in power long-term.
Previous efforts to urge the prime minister to reconsider running as Liberal Party leader were largely derailed by Donald Trump’s re-election as U.S. president last month.
Compounding the pressure the prime minister is facing, the Liberal minority government’s only remaining dancing partner is the NDP, but leader Jagmeet Singh today added his voice to those calling for Trudeau to step down, calling for an early The chances of an election have increased.
However, with the House of Commons scheduled to adjourn for the year on Tuesday, it appears unlikely that the prime minister will have to face an imminent vote of confidence that could overthrow the government.
With files from CTV News’ Vassie Kapelos and Spencer Van Dyke.
