New Delhi: Trouble mounted for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after some parliamentarians from his Liberal Party gave him the ultimatum to resign by October 28 amid building pressure on him to not run for office in next year’s general election amid a drop in his popularity ratings as revealed in recent polls.
According to reports, the dissident MPs have served a deadline, asking Trudeau to clear his stance by October 28. However, the Canadian PM brushed away the rumours, saying the Liberals stand “strong and united” following a three-hour-long meeting with his party MPs.
Why Liberals are miffed with Trudeau?
Three Liberal MPs claimed they are among more than 20 lawmakers from the party who have signed a letter urging Trudeau to step down before the next election. The letter, which has not yet been made public, comes from within a party that currently holds 153 seats in Canada’s House of Commons.
Ken McDonald, the MP from Newfoundland, confirmed his support for the letter, adding, “He has to start listening, listening to the people.” McDonald, who is not seeking re-election, said some of his colleagues who plan to run again are worried due to poor polling numbers. Wayne Long of New Brunswick and Sean Casey of Prince Edward Island also publicly acknowledged signing the letter.
While Trudeau has previously indicated he intends to run for another term, he did not take questions from reporters after a recent meeting. No Canadian prime minister has won four consecutive terms in more than a century.
Support from cabinet
Trudeau’s Cabinet ministers have publicly backed him amid internal party tensions. “There is, what you might call, some palace drama happening right now, and that distracts from our top priority—focusing on Canadians,” said Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, a member of the Liberal Party. However, not all Liberal MPs have shown support for Trudeau.
“It’s the leader’s decision whether to stay on or not,” said Yvan Baker, a Liberal MP from Ontario. Charles Sousa, representing a suburban Toronto area, shared that while he didn’t sign the letter, Trudeau is in a period of reflection. “Trudeau made it very clear he believes he’s the right choice, but he’s listening to the feedback,” Sousa said. “I respect his decision, whatever that may be.”