Ottawa:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met Wednesday with members of the ruling Liberal Party, some of whom have criticized the party’s poor performance in the polls and called for Trudeau to resign after nine years in power. There are some too.
Trudeau is not in immediate danger but cannot be removed, so making a public display of unhappiness is one of the most serious political challenges Trudeau has ever faced. The major political parties usually meet on Wednesdays, but this situation is unusual.
Prime Minister Trudeau has claimed to lead the Liberal Party in the next election, which must be held by the end of October 2025, but polls show that if he takes over, the party will become the official opposition Conservative Party. It will be a big loss.
According to a Nano’s Research poll released on October 15, the Conservative Party’s public approval rating was 39%, with the Liberal Party far behind at 23%, and their left-wing rival New Democratic Party at 21%. Such a result on voting day would give the Conservatives a comfortable majority.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation announced that 24 of the party’s 153 MPs have signed a letter calling for Prime Minister Trudeau to step down.
Ken Macdonald, a Liberal MP from Atlantic Canada who is not running in the next election, said before the meeting that some of the people who signed the letter were “concerned as turnout continues to decline.” He said there are some.
Wayne Long, another MP from the same region, said a new leadership for the party could give him an edge over the Conservatives, who blame Trudeau for rising prices and causing the housing crisis.
There is no mechanism to expel Prime Minister Trudeau. Unlike Australia, where leaders are elected by MPs, Canadian party leaders are elected by MPs at special party conferences.
Frustration with Trudeau erupted after the party lost its two safest seats in special elections in June and September.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
