As rumours swirl around Parliament Hill about efforts within the Liberal caucus to urge Justin Trudeau to resign as party leader, Liberal MPs are saying publicly that it’s still an internal matter for the party.
Members of Parliament returned to Ottawa on Monday following a week-long pause in the House of Commons calendar. The Liberal caucus is set to meet mid-week for the first time since reports of a movement to oust Trudeau went public.
In the halls of Parliament on Monday, some Liberals acknowledged rocky times ahead.
“There’s certainly issues that we need to address. We’re going to address them in caucus later this week,” said Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne. “I think the best thing we can do now as a team is listen to our colleagues. I think there’s a moment for us to listen, to understand the concerns.”
Multiple news outlets, including CBC, have reported that some Liberal MPs hope to present a letter to Trudeau, signed by caucus members, calling on him to resign. Last week, multiple sources said at least 20 MPs have signed the document.
Trudeau has repeatedly said he plans to stay on as leader for the next election.
Some Liberal MPs have warned that voters are tuning out Trudeau’s message. They point to two byelection losses and the party’s apparent inability to dig its way out of a 20-point polling deficit.
But other than Charlottetown MP Sean Casey, who already has called on Trudeau publicly to step down before the next election, no sitting Liberal would publicly admit to signing the letter Monday.
Charlottetown MP Sean Casey says he’s getting private support from several members of the federal Liberal caucus a day after he said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should step down as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada ahead of the next election.
Quebec City MP Joël Lightbound denied seeing any letter and said he would prefer that the party hold these discussions internally.
He was asked whether he still supports the prime minister.
“I have had my share of disagreements with the prime minister over the years, but I have enough respect for him and his function, and the sacrifices that it entails, that I’d rather let him decide for him,” said Lightbound.
And as some caucus members try to push Trudeau out, some replacements could be ready to dive in.
On Monday, former B.C. premier Christy Clark waded in on social media.
“I am a proud Liberal voter, registered Liberal and former Liberal Premier,” she wrote. “The Prime Minister has earned the right to make any decision about his leadership on his own — the position of leader is not open.”
On a podcast with Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney said that he is “taking steps” toward running for elected office.
When asked about caucus unrest, Thunder Bay MP Marcus Powlowski – who was an emergency room doctor – described the situation with a metaphor.
“If the blood’s not squirting on the ceiling, it’s not an emergency,” he said.
Other Liberal MPs, including Ottawa’s Yasir Naqvi, voiced support for Trudeau.
“I support the prime minister. Justin Trudeau is doing some really important hard work when it comes to building the economy and making sure we have a bright future for the economy,” he said.
The Liberal caucus is set to meet on Wednesday morning.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne says it’s normal to take time to listen to caucus colleagues before regaining ‘momentum.’ Some Liberal MPs are expected to present Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with a document asking him to resign as party leader, sources have told CBC News. Champagne says he thinks his colleagues’ concerns are coming ‘from a good place.’