MP Ken McDonald walks back his claim that Liberals need a leadership review
Avalon MP now says he's not calling for a review, says prime minister is a 'great campaigner'
Liberal MP Ken McDonald has done an about-face on comments to a Radio-Canada reporter this week when he said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should be subject to a leadership review.
In a statement sent Thursday morning, McDonald walked back his comments, insisting he wasn't calling for a leadership review.
"The intent of my recent public comments was not to personally call for a leadership review, and I am not calling for one now," said McDonald, the member of Parliament for Newfoundland's Avalon riding.
Despite his statement Thursday, McDonald was clear in his comments to Radio-Canada reporter Laurence Martin in a recent interview that he wanted to see a leadership review, and that he wasn't sure if Trudeau was the right leader for the party heading into the next election.
"The government now of today is getting to be an old government," McDonald said in the interview, published Wednesday. "People are thinking maybe it's time for a change. I tell everybody: every leader, every party has a best-before date. Our best-before date is here. So we either have to change things up in a way to make people think we're new again, or we're able to do better going forward. But that's not something I have control of."
"You seem to suggest that there needs to be some sort of a shakeup, like maybe a leadership shakeup or something?" Martin asked.
"Even a leadership review, right? Like—" said McDonald.
"You want a leadership review?" asked Martin.
"A leadership review," continued McDonald. "Normally, in most circumstances in politics and especially in the federal government, if you go from a majority government to a minority government, there's supposed to be a leadership review. That hasn't happened. And we went in a minority in 2019 … and then we went to another minority in '21."
"So you think at least there should be a leadership review in the Liberal party?" Martin asked.
"Yes," he responded. "Let's clear the air. Let's, you know, as a party let's clear the air, and if people are still intent on having the leader we have now, fine, but at least give people the opportunity to have their say in what they think of the direction the party is going."
"And if there were a review like that, would you continue supporting Justin Trudeau or would you look for somebody else?" Martin asked.
"I would want to see the slate of candidates that would come forward and hear from them individually and then I would make up my mind," McDonald said.
"So it's not clear for you right now whether Justin Trudeau is the right leader for the Liberal party?"
"No. It's not clear."
Other Atlantic MPs silent
CBC/Radio-Canada asked 15 Liberal MPs throughout Atlantic Canada to respond to McDonald's comments on Wednesday. Zero responded.
While McDonald stopped short of calling for Trudeau to step down during the interview, he was unequivocal in saying he wasn't sure if he would support Trudeau in the coming election.
On Thursday, McDonald took a much different tone.
"As I said, I believe that the prime minister is a smart politician, a great campaigner, and I know he still has the best interest of Canadians at heart," the statement reads.
"I will continue to support my caucus colleagues and the prime minister as I've done since 2015."
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With files from Laurence Martin, Patrick Butler, Radio-Canada