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㽶ƵֱYes㽶Ƶֱ: Trudeau unequivocal on whether he will be prime minister at month㽶Ƶֱs end

Prime Minister says he will lead party into next election despite caucus unrest
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Justin Trudeau says he is staying on as Canada㽶Ƶֱs Liberal leader despite concerns within his caucus. Canadian Press

One day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was presented with a letter from some of his MPs asking for his resignation, he made crystal clear he is not going anywhere.

㽶ƵֱYes,㽶Ƶֱ he said, responding unequivocally to a question from a reporter if he would remain the prime minister after Oct. 28.

That is the deadline the dissident MPs gave for him to respond to their call for his resignation.

About two dozen MPs backed the letter amid concern that Trudeau㽶Ƶֱs slumping popularity with Canadians will trigger a Liberal defeat in the next election. Only a handful of that group have publicly identified themselves.

After the meeting on Wednesday, Trudeau promised to reflect on what the MPs said. Still, he has remained defiant about quitting.

㽶ƵֱSo yeah, we㽶Ƶֱre going to continue to have great conversations about what is the best way to take on Pierre Poilievre in the next election 㽶Ƶֱ but that㽶Ƶֱll happen with me as leader going into the next election,㽶Ƶֱ he said, as a group of Liberal MPs gathered at the press conference applauded.

The Liberals have watched their polling numbers slump and then plummet since Poilievre took over as Conservative leader two years ago. Recent polls suggest that if an election were held today, the Liberals stand to lose more than half their current seats.

Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, who recently announced he won㽶Ƶֱt be seeking re-election after 30 years in politics, told reporters on Thursday the prime minister still has his full support and he is glad Trudeau is staying.

Some other MPs expressed disappointment that Trudeau didn㽶Ƶֱt take longer to think about his decision after the meeting, or said they㽶Ƶֱre not sure he has made a final call.

Wayne Long, a New Brunswick MP who has been calling publicly for Trudeau to resign since June, said he was 㽶Ƶֱpersonally disappointed㽶Ƶֱ that Trudeau came out with his response less than 20 hours after the caucus meeting ended.

㽶ƵֱIt㽶Ƶֱs a pretty quick reflection and I think he should reflect more,㽶Ƶֱ said Long. 㽶ƵֱI expected him to reflect, or we expected him to reflect, for the weekend.㽶Ƶֱ

Sean Casey, the MP for Charlottetown, said he didn㽶Ƶֱt think Trudeau felt he needed any time to think about it.

㽶ƵֱI think his mind was made up,㽶Ƶֱ said Casey, who said earlier this week he had signed the letter.

Toronto MP Yvan Baker, who hasn㽶Ƶֱt been clear whether he signed the letter or not, and Patrick Weiler, who did not confirm or deny reports he was one of the dissidents, both said they㽶Ƶֱre not sure this is Trudeau㽶Ƶֱs final answer.

㽶ƵֱMy expectation, and based on what I know of the prime minister and just based on what I know of the discussions that were held yesterday in caucus, is that he will take the time to reflect,㽶Ƶֱ said Baker.

Weiler said he wasn㽶Ƶֱt surprised at Trudeau㽶Ƶֱs response, suggesting that to open the door to leaving while he㽶Ƶֱs thinking it over would make him an immediate 㽶Ƶֱlame duck prime minister.㽶Ƶֱ

㽶ƵֱI know the prime minister to be a very thoughtful person,㽶Ƶֱ Weiler said, adding that he is sure Trudeau will make the decision 㽶Ƶֱthat would be in the best interest of the party and the country.㽶Ƶֱ

Trudeau has been fending off questions about his future for months and has never wavered in his plan to lead the party into the next election, which must be held by next October but could come much sooner.

Multiple Liberals, including several close to the prime minister, have said he both relishes and excels when presented with a tough fight.

It㽶Ƶֱs not clear what the MPs told Trudeau would happen if he doesn㽶Ƶֱt resign before Oct. 28. The Liberals do not have a mechanism to force their leader to resign.

Both Long and Casey said voting non-confidence in the government is not on the table for them. Newfoundland MP Ken McDonald told reporters before Wednesday㽶Ƶֱs meeting that voting non-confidence is always a tool available to MPs who disagree with the government, but that he is not considering it at this time.

Casey said voting non-confidence or sitting as an independent would just increase the odds of a Poilievre victory.

㽶ƵֱTo a person, every single colleague that I㽶Ƶֱve talked to thinks that Pierre Poilievre in the prime minister㽶Ƶֱs office would be a bad thing,㽶Ƶֱ he said. 㽶ƵֱAnything that we do that makes that more likely is dumb.㽶Ƶֱ

Outside of stepping down, many Liberals have been looking for the government to make some bold adjustments to unpopular policies, particularly around carbon pricing and immigration.

Trudeau moved last fall to adjust carbon pricing by taking the levy off heating oil purchases for three years. That was met with accusations he was politicizing the issue to appease voters in Atlantic Canada, where heating oil is more common.

On Thursday he announced the government is slashing targets for new permanent residents by more than 100,000 per year in each of the next three years.

He acknowledged the government didn㽶Ƶֱt 㽶Ƶֱget the balance quite right㽶Ƶֱ between increasing immigration to fill post-pandemic labour shortages and controlling population growth at a manageable pace.

Immigration has sent Canada㽶Ƶֱs population skyrocketing in the last two years without the housing, health care or social services to support it. It has been a big issue for MPs as they canvassed their constituents over the summer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.

㽶Ƶֱ With files from Alessia Passafiume

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press





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