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Frustrated members of Canada’s Liberal Party have given Prime Minister Justin Trudeau an ultimatum. He is likely to decide early next week whether he wants to remain leader or face the possibility of a caucus revolt.
The prime minister met with Liberal MPs in a closed party caucus on Wednesday, and 20 MPs, not including ministers, called on the party’s leader to resign before the next general election is likely to result in a sharp drop in the number of voters.
Twenty MPs also signed a letter urging Trudeau to make a decision by Oct. 28, but no clear conclusion was reached.
There are 153 Liberal MPs, suggesting the rebellion still lacks widespread support. Questions are mounting over Trudeau’s political future, but no alternative party leader has come forward to challenge him.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in his ninth year in office, remains deeply unpopular and faces calls from within his own party to step down to avoid an embarrassing election loss that could drop the party to third place.
The Conservative Party has a nearly 20-point lead over the ruling Liberal Party, according to the CBC Poll Tracker.
The results of two by-elections over the summer have given wary MPs further reason to question Trudeau’s future tenure as party leader. The party lost the constituency of La Salle-Emaard-Verdun, which had been held almost exclusively by the Liberal Party for more than 50 years. A few months ago, I lost my safe seat in downtown Toronto.
The losses reflect a deterioration in public opinion toward the Trudeau government. Housing shortages have led to rising costs of living, and policy failures and mismanagement have undermined strong support for immigration.
Nevertheless, Prime Minister Trudeau has said he intends to contest and win the next federal election, which will be held by the fall of 2025.
After a three-hour meeting on Wednesday, ministers reiterated their support for the embattled prime minister. Immigration Minister Mark Miller, a key ally of Trudeau, said he expects Trudeau to run against Conservative rival Pierre Poièvre in the next election.
“This is not a dangerous situation. The prime minister is definitely capable of handling the truth thoroughly,” he said, adding, “I have great respect for my colleagues who had the courage to stand up and speak to[Prime Minister Trudeau’s]face.” “I have,” he added.
Other MPs suggested Trudeau and his allies could preserve the party’s credibility if they made significant changes to the way they handle policy and messaging.
Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said: “The Prime Minister needs to listen to the grievances, and in some cases legitimate grievances, of his caucus colleagues and incorporate them into future changes.”
Trudeau said little as he emerged from the caucus, other than to tell reporters that “the Liberal Party is strong and united.”
