 "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government faces a crisis as the New Democratic Party has withdrawn support. AP File")
Ahead of a crucial meeting with party MPs on Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing growing dissatisfaction within his caucus, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.
Trudeau is expected to address his caucus as a whole for the first time since several of his MPs have expressed privately and publicly that he is not the person to lead the party into the next election.
Liberal Party MP Alexandra Mendes revealed on Monday that feedback from her constituents indicates they believe the PM “needs to go.”
“I didn’t hear it from two, three people. I heard it from dozens and dozens of people. He’s no longer the right leader,” Hindustan Times quoted Mendes as saying to French-language network Radio-Canada, even though she she praised Trudeau’s track record as PM.
Earlier, New Brunswick MP Wayne Long too sought his resignation before the next federal election, scheduled for October 2025.
Recently, Indo-Canadian MPs George Chahal from Alberta and Chandra Arya from Ontario also voiced concerns about the party’s direction while still backing Trudeau.
Their worries stem from the Liberals trailing the Conservatives by 15 to 20 points in recent polls, which puts the Conservatives in a strong position for a majority in the next election.
The prospect of earlier elections has become more likely after Jagmeet Singh-led New Democratic Party’s (NDP) withdrew from the ‘supply-and-confidence agreement’ with the ruling party, which was established in March 2022.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWith 154 seats in the 338-member House of Commons, the Liberals have reverted to a minority government.
At the upcoming caucus retreat in Nanaimo, British Columbia, a key highlight will be the formal announcement of Mark Carney, former Governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, joining the government as a special advisor on economic issues.
Carney will present his vision for the Liberals’ economic policy at the meeting.
“Mark’s unique ideas and perspectives will play a vital role in shaping the next steps in our plan to continue to grow our economy and strengthen the middle class, and to urgently seize new opportunities for Canadian jobs and prosperity in a fast-changing world," said Trudeau in a release issued on Monday.
Meanwhile, NDP is also kicking off a three-day caucus retreat today in Montreal, days after leaving the supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals.
After he announced last week that he had “ripped up” the agreement with the minority government, Singh said the Liberals are too weak to fight for Canadians and can’t stop the Conservatives, offering himself as a credible alternative to Pierre Poilievre.
The retreat is also happening in one of the two cities where the NDP is hoping to win a byelection on September 16.
With inputs from agencies