On October 24, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke out amid growing dissatisfaction among some members of his party, affirming his commitment to lead the Liberal Party into the next federal election.
Trudeau addressed the internal pressures during a closed-door meeting held by multiple Liberal factions in Ottawa on October 23. The three-hour meeting, which included 152 MPs, featured a statement from over 20 Liberal MPs who publicly called for Trudeau’s resignation in a bid to regain public support, which they believe has been lost to the main opposition party, the Conservatives.
“You just have to look at the polls. The Liberal Party has clearly lost public support,” said Canadian MP Ken McDonald, one of the signatories to the statement calling for Trudeau’s departure.
Sources revealed that the MPs requested Trudeau to make a decision regarding his leadership by October 28. At the conclusion of the meeting, Trudeau mentioned he would reflect on what he had heard, but did not indicate any intention to resign.
According to Politico, since the Canadian Parliament reconvened on September 16, some members of the Liberal Party have been regularly organizing closed-door meetings. Attendees noted they have tried to keep these discussions discreet to preserve Trudeau’s dignity, although their meeting location is quite close to the Prime Minister’s office.
When asked during a press conference on October 24 if he would continue as party leader after October 28, Trudeau replied, “We will continue to discuss how to better address the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre during the next election, but that will happen when I participate in that election as party leader.”
The implications for Canadian politics are noteworthy. According to The Guardian, while the Liberal Party holds 153 seats in the House of Commons, only about 20 members have openly voiced opposition to Trudeau. This suggests that the push for his resignation has not gained significant momentum, and the petition lacks any legal standing, with no viable successor positioned to challenge him at this time.
The Liberals have faced setbacks in by-elections in Toronto and Montreal in June and September, which raised alarms about their standing among voters. Since Trudeau took office in the fall of 2015, the Liberal Party has governed for nine years, but their popularity has recently waned, trailing behind the Conservatives. The next scheduled federal election is set for the fall of 2025, but with increasing calls for a vote of no confidence from the opposition, an early election seems more likely.
Political analysts and polling experts quoted by The Wall Street Journal have noted that Trudeau’s personal approval ratings have been in decline for several years, attributed in part to various scandals and his failure to connect with voters on pressing issues.
“The biggest concern is that voters are fatigued with Trudeau,” stated Lori Turnbull, a political scientist at Dalhousie University. According to recent CBC polling, the Conservative Party is currently leading the Liberals by 19 percentage points, suggesting a significant advantage if an election were held now.
