Justin Trudeau has reaffirmed his commitment to lead the Liberal Party into the next federal election, despite growing dissent among party members. A recent meeting revealed that over 20 lawmakers from the party have signed a letter urging the Canadian Prime Minister to step down before the election, but Trudeau remains steadfast in his decision.
During a three-hour meeting with Liberal Members of Parliament (MPs), Trudeau acknowledged the “robust conversations” taking place within the party about the path forward. However, he emphasized that he would continue as the leader heading into the next election. “That will happen with me as leader going into the next election,” he stated.
Historically, no Canadian prime minister has achieved four consecutive terms in office for more than a century. Despite this, Trudeau’s cabinet ministers assert that he enjoys the support of a significant majority among the 153 Liberal MPs in the House of Commons. Recent special elections in Toronto and Montreal, traditionally strongholds for the Liberals, have raised questions about his leadership, as the party faced unexpected losses.
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With the federal election potentially taking place anytime between this fall and next October, the Liberals find themselves in a precarious position. Lacking an outright majority, they will need to rely on support from at least one major party in Parliament. The leader of the opposition Bloc Québécois has indicated intentions to collaborate with the Conservatives and the New Democratic Party (NDP) to challenge the Liberals and force an election unless the government addresses pressing issues like pension increases.
According to Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, pressure is mounting on Trudeau; however, the discontented lawmakers currently lack the power to force his resignation. “Trudeau holds all the cards. It is up to him if he wants to stay. The Liberal Party revised its rules in 2016 so that the party leader is immune to any challenge to his leadership as long as he is prime minister,” Wiseman explained.
Trudeau’s political journey has been marked by the influence of his father, the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who helped reestablish Canada’s liberal identity after nearly a decade of Conservative rule. Today, the current prime minister faces challenges stemming from the rising cost of living and other post-pandemic issues that have frustrated many Canadians.
Recent polling reflects this unease, with the Liberals trailing the Conservatives by a margin of 38% to 25% in the latest Nanos poll, which surveyed 1,037 respondents and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
