Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Liberal Party is “strong and united” despite efforts within his caucus to oust him as leader.
Prime Minister Trudeau did not pause to take questions from reporters, but on Wednesday he held an unusually long and high-stakes meeting in which many caucus members were expected to confront him and demand: He made this comment as he was leaving the venue. Get off.
The long-awaited meeting was held behind closed doors. The comments came after a group of MPs formed behind the scenes over the past two weeks to urge the prime minister to reconsider his political future under Liberal leadership.
It’s unclear exactly how many MPs are participating in the effort to oust him, but sources involved in organizing the letter told CTV News there are at least 20 MPs, mostly from Atlantic Canada. He said participants come from across the region and southwestern Ontario.
Many members of parliament and cabinet ministers have also claimed support for the prime minister.
Some have expressed their opposition more openly, including longtime Liberal MP Sean Casey, who acknowledged on Monday that he had signed a letter calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to resign, but has not directly stated whether he supports the prime minister. Some people refuse to do so and avoid the issue. And instead, it says this is an opportunity for caucus discussion.
Rep. Nathaniel Erskine-Smith did not explain the atmosphere of the debate when asked by reporters on his way out of the meeting.
“I think there’s absolutely a path that the prime minister can turn things around,” he said. “If we end up throwing everything against the wall and he gets ignored, I think that’s a different story. I don’t think we’re there yet.”
He also said it’s up to Trudeau to reflect on what he heard from his caucus and come back with a plan.
“I think it’s very important when you have so many colleagues expressing frustration. I’ve expressed frustration at different times over the years. I listen to that feedback. It’s very important to tilt the scale,” Erskine-Smith said.
The Liberals have faced lackluster polling for more than a year, at times losing more than 20 points to the Conservatives.
Furthermore, two recent heavy defeats in traditionally safe Liberal seats in by-elections, combined with the termination of the supply and confidence agreement with the NDP, have further destabilized Parliament. The dynamics of the minority government are at work, with an ultimatum coming from the Bloc Quebecois that if the two bloc-led bills are not passed, it could join forces with other parties to topple the Liberals. .
“I think the caucus is nervous because the polls continue to drop in favor of the Liberal Party,” Liberal MP Ken MacDonald said on his way to Wednesday’s meeting, adding he hoped to remain in the caucus until the next election. he added. He will never run again.
He said that depending on the outcome of today’s meeting, voting in favor of the opposition would be an option going forward, but he was not considering it at this time.
Councilor Wayne Long, who will also be at the meeting, said significant defeats in by-elections in Toronto and Montreal prove the party needs change.
He said he respected the confidentiality of the caucus, but expected “robust, candid and difficult discussions.”
“I look forward to voicing my opinion. I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone what my views are and that there needs to be a change in leadership,” he said. Ta. “But eventually the caucus majority will rule and I’ll be able to look in the mirror and say my opinion. And we’ll see what happens.”
Trudeau arrived at the meeting an hour and a half early with his suit jacket slung over his shoulders, smiling at reporters and wishing them a “nice day,” but not stopping for questions.
He has insisted he will lead the party into the next election, and when asked directly on Tuesday if he was worried about his leadership, he simply said “no.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday that she is more “confident” than ever that “the vast majority of Liberal MPs support the prime minister” after conversations over the past few days.
Some ministers, including Immigration Minister Mark Miller and Employment Minister Randy Boissonneau, are trying to shift focus, arguing that targeting the opposition Conservative Party is more important than engaging in intraparty fights.
“There’s…what would you call it? There’s some drama going on at the palace right now,” Boissonneau told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s meeting. “And that would take us away from our number one job, which is to focus on Canadians and focus on important policies, but at the same time our government, our party and the (Conservative leadership) It also shows a really clear contrast between Pierre Poièvre and the author.
“Time spent on this garbage is time not spent on Pierre Poièvre and what he wants to do for this country,” Miller said Tuesday.
The decision to resign ultimately rests with Trudeau, and there is no formal mechanism in place for the party caucus to force him to step down.
Wednesday’s caucus meeting usually lasts about two hours, but on this day it lasted nearly three and a half hours.
This is a developing story. Details will be announced later.
With files from CTV News’ Rachel Aiello, Rachel Hanes and Noah Wachter