Multiple sources told CBC News that at a virtual meeting of the Ontario Liberal Caucus on Saturday morning, more than 50 Liberal MPs agreed that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should resign as party leader. did.
CBC News is not publishing the names of MPs so that they can speak freely about their private discussions.
The Prime Minister is thought to be contemplating his political future following Chrystia Freeland’s dramatic cabinet resignation on Monday. Her pointed public resignation has sparked a new wave of Liberal MPs calling for the prime minister to step down.
At the end of Saturday’s meeting, Ontario Caucus Chairman Michael Cotto was tasked with telling Prime Minister Trudeau and the Prime Minister’s Office that he needed to resign.
MPs expressed different views on how long it would be appropriate for Trudeau to reflect on his future before putting more pressure on him, the people said. Lawmakers who spoke privately to CBC News said one attendee was concerned about the impending inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump and the potential for “chaos” if the prime minister were to step down when Trump takes office. He said he raised issues about sexuality.
One MP who spoke to CBC News said there is no formal mechanism in the Ontario caucus to compel the speaker to convey such a message to Prime Minister Trudeau, but members are confident Cotto will listen to their requests. He said he had faith that he would be able to do so.
The lawmaker said no one has set a deadline for Cotto to communicate with Trudeau, but he hopes it happens soon.
Officials said 51 MPs, a majority of the 75 members of the Ontario caucus, participated in the conference call.
Freeland attended the meeting but remained silent: sources
Freeland participated in Saturday’s conference call but did not say anything as the future of party leadership is being discussed, people familiar with the matter told CBC News.
Hours before he was scheduled to release his fall 2024 economic statement on Monday, Freeland posted his resignation on social media. She wrote that she has been at odds with the prime minister for weeks, warning him to resist “costly political maneuvering” that undermines Canadians’ confidence in the country and the Liberal Party amid a potential tariff war with the U.S. .
Freeland has not publicly announced any attempt to remove Trudeau, but since Monday two Liberal MPs — Sean Casey, who represents Charlottetown, and Chandra, whose Nepean riding covers parts of Ottawa — have announced – Aria stated that she would publicly support Freeland’s leadership candidacy.
“Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s resignation signaled a very important change,” Arias wrote in a letter to Trudeau released Friday, days after defending the prime minister’s retention in an interview with CBC. . The National.
“While we were disappointed in the timing of her announcement, we must acknowledge her extraordinary political acumen. Whether by design or circumstance, she has been recognized as a reliable and stable alternative to your leadership. It surfaced.”
One Ontario Liberal MP who was asked to comment on the conversation by CBC News spoke out in defense of the premier. Julie Gerovich, Davenport’s Toronto riding representative, said Trudeau is listening to his caucus.
He also said anyone who speaks about any kind of agreement at the meeting violates caucus confidentiality.
Scarborough Center MP Salma Zahid said she agreed that recent events had heightened everyone’s level of concern, but she declined to go into details, citing caucus confidentiality.
“People don’t really know what the options are and what the timeline is,” she says.
As for the future of the party, Zahid said only: “We’ll see what happens and when it happens,” adding that he has started looking for a campaign office in anticipation of an early general election next year.
