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Longtime Trudeau loyalist Chandra Arya says it’s time for the prime minister to step aside — and he believes the majority of Liberals in caucus feel the same way.
“There is no alternative but to have the leadership change now,” the Ontario MP for Nepean told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton Sunday.
He was responding to a question about what was discussed at a virtual meeting of the Ontario Liberal caucus on Saturday morning.
Sources told CBC News that more than 50 Liberal MPs came to a consensus that Justin Trudeau needs to step down as party leader during a meeting of the party’s largest regional caucus.
The abrupt departure from cabinet on Monday of former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland prompted a growing tide of MPs to call for Trudeau to go. The public count is currently at 21.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was nowhere to be seen over the weekend when the members of the Ontario Liberal caucus revealed the group of MPs had reached a consensus that he should resign.
Quebec Liberal MP Anthony Housefather told Rosemary Barton Live the “vast majority” of people he’s talking to believe the prime minister should resign, “whether they’ve gone public or not.”
Trudeau remaining as leader puts the party in an “impossible situation,” he said — one where the leader becomes “the ballot issue.”
“There are many people who would vote for the Liberal Party but don’t want to vote for the leader,” Housefather added.
Freeland best person for job, MP says
Both Arya and Housefather said the biggest threat facing Canadians is the 25 per cent tariff promised by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s impending administration.
“We need the prime minister to go now so we can set forth the leadership process,” Housefather said, adding he thinks the Liberal caucus could elect an interim leader “in a day” while a leadership process takes place.
Arya said he “absolutely” thinks Freeland is the person to step up given her track record of negotiating during Trump’s first administration.
Housefather did not name a possible successor, saying it’s first more important for Trudeau to step aside.
Liberals ‘don’t deserve another chance’: NDP
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh penned a letter on Friday vowing to bring forward a motion of non-confidence to take down the Liberal government. This is the first time he’s said he would do so.
It’s not clear when that would happen, or if he would support one of the other opposition parties’ motions.
“The Liberals don’t deserve another chance,” Singh’s letter said. “I called for Justin Trudeau to resign, and he should.”
Despite the political turmoil, members of the prime minister’s cabinet say they will continue their work for Canadians, who Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Steven MacKinnon said “are the boss.”
“We listen very, very carefully to what they have to say,” MacKinnon told Rosemary Barton.
Poilievre says House should be recalled as NDP vows to vote down Liberal government
MacKinnon said while the Liberals have an “extremely strong and diverse caucus,” the party’s MPs are a team. “I’m a member of the team, and I’m a member of this prime minister’s team.”
Trudeau is said to be reflecting on his political future. The prime minister is in the National Capital Region on Sunday, with no public events listed on his itinerary.
Source: cbc
