Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he is “committed” to staying in office following the Liberal Party’s shock defeat in the Toronto-St. Paul by-election just a week ago.
“There’s always a lot of reflection that comes after a tough loss, but there’s a lot of work to do,” Trudeau told CBC’s Heather Hiscox, answering his first question about his future since the upset win.
Before last week’s vote, a Conservative candidate had not been competitive in the federal riding of Toronto-St. Paul since the 1980s, and the party had not won a seat in the greater Toronto area since the 2011 federal election.
Conservative candidate Don Stewart made a big advance by defeating Liberal candidate Leslie Church by 590 votes, giving the Liberal Party the seat in the 2021 election by a margin of more than 10,000 votes.
Trudeau remained defiant on Monday despite criticism from some in his own party, insisting he has no intention of backing down.
“I look forward to next year’s Canada Day and many more to come, as I get to work every day building a better Canada,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau spoke during his annual Canada Day interview with CBC News, where he did not take any questions from the media at last week’s event.
Calls for Trudeau’s resignation
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.
On Friday, Liberal MP Wayne Long became the first Liberal MP to publicly call for Trudeau’s resignation.
New Brunswick Liberal MP Wayne Long has circulated an email to his caucus calling for Justin Trudeau to step down as leader following the party’s shocking defeat in the recent by-election in Toronto. This comes after former cabinet minister Catherine McKenna issued a statement to CBC News calling for “new energy and new leadership.”
“The future of our party and the interest of our country require new leadership and a new direction,” the New Brunswick member said in an email to all 155 Liberal MPs last week.
“Voters have made it loud and clear that they want change, and I agree.”
The Member of Parliament for St John Rothesay, who has spoken out against the Government in the past, will not stand again at the next election.
Catherine McKenna has joined the growing number of former caucus members calling for a new Liberal leader, the first member of Trudeau’s cabinet to call for the prime minister to resign.
“The Liberal Party is not about one person. It is about the values we stand for and improving the lives of Canadians,” McKenna, who served as a key Liberal cabinet minister under Trudeau from 2015 to 2021, said in a statement to CBC News.
“The Prime Minister has a proud record but now is the time for new ideas, new energy and new leadership. There is too much at stake in this election, particularly on the economy and the climate.”
The Globe and Mail reported Thursday that two former MPs, Wayne Easter, who served as MP from 2000 to 2001, and John Manley, who served from 1988 to 2004, also believe Trudeau should step down as leader. Former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould Added “+1” To the Globe article published in X.
David Haar, who served as the Liberal party’s chief election strategist under former Prime Minister Paul Martin, told Power & Politics magazine on Thursday that Justin Trudeau should ask himself “what are the risks if I leave and what are the risks if I stay” as some Liberal MPs question his leadership following the party’s shocking by-election defeat in the Toronto-St. Paul constituency.
Nepean MP Chandra Arya on Saturday. Also posted on XHe publicly shared what he wrote to caucus colleagues about Trudeau’s leadership.
“in my view [Trudeau] I took it [the] “The party and government have veered too far to the centre-left,” Arya wrote, adding that the prime minister and his team “have made some poor policy and strategic choices over the years” without elaborating on what those were.
But Arya ended her tweet by reaffirming her support for Trudeau’s leadership: “I reaffirm my trust and confidence in Mr. Trudeau.” [Trudeau] I look forward to fighting the next election under his leadership.”
Arya is one of a number of lawmakers, including several cabinet ministers, who have publicly supported Trudeau in recent days and argued he is the best person to take on Conservative Leader Pierre Poiriervre.
Also over the weekend, Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine Smith, who represents the Toronto metropolitan area of Beaches East York, He said in the video Prime Minister Trudeau should question his Liberal Party members about his leadership.
“Let our members, activists, organizers and grassroots donors across the country decide,” he said.
MPs say Trudeau needs to attend caucus
A growing number of Liberal MPs are telling CBC News a national caucus needs to be held as soon as possible to discuss the impact of the by-election defeat, arguing the meeting cannot wait until a caucus camp scheduled for late summer.
Ken MacDonald, R-Newfoundland and Labrador, who voted twice against his party on the carbon tax, stressed the need for an urgent face-to-face meeting with Trudeau.
“It’s unfortunate that we can’t meet as a caucus until after the summer, but I think the focus right now should be on local residents,” Jennica Atwin, Liberal MP for Fredericton, told CBC News at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment Monday about the request for an in-person caucus meeting. Spokesperson Jenna Gasabe told CBC News that the Prime Minister’s Office had nothing to add. Liberal caucus Chair Brenda Shanahan did not respond to CBC’s request for comment.
Following Liberal candidate Leslie Church’s unexpected loss to Conservative candidate Don Stewart, members of Trudeau’s team began calling party members to solicit their input on the party’s direction, Radio-Canada sources said.
With the Liberal Party’s Toronto stronghold now broken, there is concern that few seats are safe, and many Liberals are concerned about the upcoming LaSalle-Emard-Verdun by-election.
The Conservative by-election win in the Toronto stronghold is seen by many as a message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party that it’s time for big changes in the party and its leadership.
