A defiant Trudeau says he's staying on as leader after caucus revolt
Prime minister says he won't leave even after 24 MPs called for him to go
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday he's staying on as leader even after 24 of his own MPs signed a letter calling for him to step down to save the party from what polls say could be a resounding defeat in the next election.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference on the federal government's plan to curb immigration, Trudeau said he's not going anywhere, despite demands from some MPs that he leave by Oct. 28.
"As a party, we've always had robust discussions about the best way forward. We'll continue to have them with me as leader," Trudeau said.
Trudeau framed his decision to stay on as one motivated by a desire to block Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's path to power.
"We have to ensure we put all measures in place to beat Pierre Poilievre and prevent him from cutting the programs and services that Canadians need.
"We're going to have great discussions about how I can best lead the Liberal Party forward with measures to counter the disinformation and misinformation Pierre Poilievre is putting forward."
Trudeau was confronted by disaffected caucus members at a party meeting Wednesday. He told members he'd take time to reflect on their criticisms of his leadership and consider his options, sources told CBC News. Less than 24 hours later, the prime minister said he had his answer.
Asked to state plainly whether he will stay on as leader despite the opposition from some of his MPs, Trudeau said yes.
"We're focused on winning the next election and we've got a great team around us to do it," he said.
Trudeau said that, as party leader, he's open to hearing from disaffected MPs. He said Poilievre is not.
Asked if he'd kick out any of the disgruntled MPs who have led the campaign against his leadership, Trudeau pivoted to criticizing Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer, who made an appearance at what he called an "extreme, right-wing anti-abortion church" in Florida last year.
He also spoke about some Conservative MPs meeting with a German politician who has been accused of downplaying Nazi crimes.
Despite Trudeau's promise to stay on, there are still serious doubts about his continued viability as leader, given the level of internal discontent.
Trudeau could start an election campaign hobbled by persistent questions from his own people about his ability to win.
In addition to the 24 MPs who signed the document calling for him to go, Trudeau also heard directly from about 20 MPs at the party's caucus meeting on Wednesday who raised concerns about his poor standing in the polls, sources said.
After nine years in government, Trudeau's popularity has plummeted among voters.
The CBC Poll Tracker shows the Conservatives have a 19-point lead over the governing Liberals.
If that margins holds, Poilievre could be poised to form a massive majority government.
Some of the MPs who asked Trudeau to reconsider staying on said Thursday they were troubled by his quick decision. They gave no indication they will go to more extreme measures to force him out.
P.E.I. MP Sean Casey, one of the 24 Liberals who signed a letter calling on Trudeau to go, said he was "disappointed" in the prime minister's decision to stay on in the face of some caucus opposition.
He said Trudeau listened to caucus discontent but clearly "wasn't swayed."
When asked if Trudeau is overestimating his chances of prevailing in the next election, Casey said he might be.
"I wouldn't call it delusional but he's seeing something that I don't see, that my constituents don't see," he told reporters on Parliament Hill.
Despite his misgivings, Casey said he would drop his push to oust Trudeau and focus instead on trying to win his Charlottetown seat again in the next election.
"I did my job voicing what I was hearing from my constituents. As far as I'm concerned, it's closed. Me, personally, I'm moving on," he said.
New Brunswick MP Wayne Long also said he was "disappointed" that Trudeau spent such a short period reflecting on his future.
"I expected, we expected him to reflect over the weekend. That was a pretty quick response and I think he needs more reflection," he said.
Long said he was motivated to take Trudeau out because he's a proud Liberal and he doesn't want to see the party obliterated in the next vote, something which polls suggest is possible.
"You saw what happened to Kathleen Wynne's Liberals in 2018. They still haven't recovered. I don't want to see us do that," he said, citing the former Ontario premier's poor election showing. Six years on from that contest, the Ontario Liberals are still polling well behind the Ontario PCs.
Andew Bevan, the man Trudeau tapped earlier this month to lead the federal Liberal re-election campaign, previously served as Wynne's chief of staff and principal secretary.
"We see the polls, we see what's potentially going to happen when there's an election. We think the party needs to be refreshed, rebooted — a new vision and maybe a little nudge to the centre — and we need to move forward with a new leader," Long said.
Like Casey, Long said he wouldn't consider voting non-confidence in the government even though he's frustrated with its current trajectory. "That's not for me. That doesn't make a lot of sense," he said.
But Long said he would like to see a secret ballot vote in caucus because he thinks there are more anti-Trudeau MPs than the 24 who put their names to the letter calling for him to go.
Sources said B.C. MP Patrick Weiler read the letter to Trudeau asking him to rethink his future in the caucus meeting Wednesday. He told reporters he hopes the prime minister is still mulling over what caucus told him.
"I know there's a lot of unanswered questions that a lot of caucus will be very keen to hear," he said. "I'm sure the prime minister is taking time right now to reflect on it."
Ontario MP Yvan Baker said that while Trudeau has said he's staying, that doesn't mean he's through considering what caucus told him about the need for change.
"My expectation, based on what I know of the prime minister, is he will take the time to reflect," Baker said.
Poilievre has pounced on the Liberal infighting.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Poilievre said Trudeau's about-face on immigration levels is a sign that the prime minister is trying to divert attention from the internal dissent.
"We can't expect Justin Trudeau will keep any of these frantic, panicked, last-minute promises that he's making now when his own MPs in the Liberal Party are trying to fire him in an election year," Poilievre said.
"He is a panicked, incompetent, failed prime minister who is not worth the cost, chaos and corruption."
Poilievre claimed some members of his team have heard from disaffected Liberal MPs.
He said those MPs said they are fearful of being "demolished" at election time because of the Liberal government's carbon tax policy of imposing a levy on fuels to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
In question period Wednesday, Poilievre asked Trudeau how he could ask voters to re-elect him for a fourth time while members of his own team are lining up against him.
"There are at least 24 Liberal members who are saying that the prime minister must resign. Immigration is also out of control. He cannot fix what he broke while dealing with a revolt," Poilievre said.
"Considering that even Liberal MPs have no confidence in this prime minister, will he call an election so that we can fix what he broke?"
Trudeau clapped back, saying Poilievre offers nothing of substance to voters, just "budget cuts, austerity and empty slogans."
"Canadians need solutions," Trudeau said, touting the government's pharmacare and dental care programs and investments in green technology.
"We are looking toward the future, while the Conservatives want to take us back to the Stone Age."
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