Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking some time to reflect after Chrystia Freeland香蕉视频直播檚 bombshell resignation as finance minister, Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Tuesday.
That comes as the number of Liberals who are calling for Trudeau to step aside appears to have grown.
香蕉视频直播淭he prime minister, as I understand it, a number of caucus colleagues have said that the prime minister has said that he will reflect on both the decision that minister Freeland made, but also what he香蕉视频直播檚 heard from members of his own caucus,香蕉视频直播 Jonathan Wilkinson said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
香蕉视频直播淚 think we all need to give him a little time to reflect, and I respect that fact that he香蕉视频直播檚 going to take some time to reflect.香蕉视频直播
The House of Commons is now on its holiday break, giving Trudeau a few weeks to decide on his next move before MPs return to Ottawa on Jan. 27.
Freeland香蕉视频直播檚 decision to walk away from the top cabinet job came three days after Trudeau had informed her she would be moved out of the finance portfolio in the next cabinet shuffle. The news came out just hours before she was set to present the government香蕉视频直播檚 fall economic statement in the House of Commons.
That kicked off a day of turmoil on Parliament Hill that began with an unexpected cabinet meeting, followed by hours of confusion about which minister might table the important financial update, or if it would be introduced at all.
Several Liberal MPs demanded an emergency caucus meeting, and during that evening gathering, some of them called for Trudeau to step aside as party leader.
New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, one of 23 caucus members who signed a letter back in October calling for Trudeau to quit, remains adamant that it香蕉视频直播檚 time for Trudeau to go. He said this time 香蕉视频直播渋s so different than times before.香蕉视频直播
香蕉视频直播淲e certainly have more MPs than last time. So, if I had to guess how many more right now, I香蕉视频直播檇 say we香蕉视频直播檙e probably at 40 to 50 right now,香蕉视频直播 Long said.
The attempt to oust Trudeau earlier in the fall ultimately failed to garner support from anyone in cabinet. This time, Long said, at least five cabinet ministers believe it香蕉视频直播檚 time for a change at the top 香蕉视频直播 though he did not identify them.
香蕉视频直播淚 certainly am one to say to my colleagues, to ministers in particular: 香蕉视频直播楲et香蕉视频直播檚 come out of the shadows,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 Long said. 香蕉视频直播淟et香蕉视频直播檚 openly, once and for all, state how we feel and let香蕉视频直播檚 move forward with what we know has to happen.香蕉视频直播
Several former cabinet ministers have called for Trudeau to go, including former environment minister Catherine McKenna on Tuesday.
香蕉视频直播淓very Liberal MP should be calling on the prime minister to resign,香蕉视频直播 she said in a post on social media. 香蕉视频直播淭he surest way to elect a Conservative majority and lose all the progress we香蕉视频直播檝e made is for him to stay. And we need to focus on tariff threat from the U.S. It香蕉视频直播檚 over.香蕉视频直播
But most current cabinet ministers, when asked, have backed the prime minister publicly.
Before question period on Tuesday Treasury Board President Anita Anand and Diversity Minister Kamal Khera, replied 香蕉视频直播測es香蕉视频直播 when asked if they support the prime minister. Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said the same.
Prince Edward Island MP Sean Casey isn香蕉视频直播檛 convinced this attempt to push Trudeau out will work any differently than when he and 22 colleagues asked the prime minister to resign in October.
At the time, Liberal MPs told reporters that Trudeau pledged to reflect on what was said. The very next day, he publicly stated his intention to stay on as leader.
Casey does not think the prime minister will take a walk in the snow now, either.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 not a single indicator in anything that he says or does that would tell me otherwise. He seems to be absolutely committed and he has throughout the piece, he香蕉视频直播檚 been remarkably consistent,香蕉视频直播 Casey said.
Whenever Trudeau has been asked if he intends to lead the Liberals in the next election the response has been an unambiguous 香蕉视频直播測es.香蕉视频直播
Trudeau typically holds a cabinet retreat before the return of Parliament and a long-anticipated cabinet shuffle is likely to come soon.
He replaced Freeland immediately with longtime friend and ally Dominic LeBlanc, who officially is now the minister of public safety, finance and intergovernmental affairs. Anand also holds two portfolios, juggling Treasury Board with transport, which she took on after Pablo Rodriguez stepped aside to prepare a run for the Liberal leadership in Quebec.
There are also at least five sitting ministers who do not plan to run in the next election, including Housing Minister Sean Fraser, whose announcement on Monday about his future was completely overshadowed by Freeland香蕉视频直播檚 bombshell.
It has been a tumultuous fall for the government. The Liberals survived three non-confidence votes in the House of Commons and have struggled to advance legislation because of a filibuster on a Conservative privilege motion related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund.
On Tuesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre once again called on NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to topple the government.
Poilievre said Canada needs an election because U.S. president-elect Donald Trump 香蕉视频直播渃an spot weakness from a mile away香蕉视频直播 and the Trudeau government is weak.
Bloc Qu茅b茅cois Leader Yves-Fran莽ois Blanchet also said a new Parliament is needed 香蕉视频直播渁s soon as possible,香蕉视频直播 and he wants to see an election called in January.
Blanchet said Trudeau has lost the political, moral and ethical authority to govern.
On Monday, Singh called for Trudeau to step down but did not make a firm comment on whether the NDP would vote non-confidence in the Liberal government, saying only that 香蕉视频直播渁ll options are on the table.香蕉视频直播
The NDP, which ended a formal supply-and-confidence agreement to support the Liberals in September, has since voted with the government on all three non-confidence motions, trying to spin it as voting against the Conservatives rather than with the Liberals.
Singh has repeatedly said a Poilievre-led Conservative government would cut things New Democrats have fought for like dental care, pharmacare and other social programs.