OTTAWA — Sean Casey is publicly calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as party leader as frustration about his leadership mounts inside caucus, making him the second Liberal MP to put his name to a push that reportedly now has the backing of about 30 MPs.
Last week, many media outlets reported that a growing number of Liberal MPs remain frustrated with Trudeau’s leadership and lack of strategy to counter Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s messaging, despite promising to do so multiple times since 2022.
The National Post contacted more than two-dozen MPs, many of whom said they had not been approached to formally ask Trudeau to resign. But some said that they understand the sentiment and could join the efforts if a larger number asks him to go.
Casey, who represents the riding of Charlottetown, told CBC’s Power and Politics on Tuesday that he has been getting the message “loud and clear” from his constituents: they have tuned out Trudeau and want him to go. “And I agree,” he said.
Casey is the first MP to publicly say he wants Trudeau’s resignation since news broke this past weekend that the Liberal caucus has been organizing behind the scenes to force the leader to step down. However, Wayne Long, a Liberal MP has been calling for Trudeau to step down since June, when the party lost a formerly safe seat in a devastating byelection in Toronto—St. Paul’s.
Another Liberal MP, who was granted anonymity to be able to speak more freely about internal discussions, said they agreed to add their signature to a list of names for that purpose. The MP said it was their understanding that about 30 MPs had also added their signature.
In any case, they said the number of signatures spilled onto a second page.
Liberal strategist Andrew Perez, principal at Perez Strategies, said that whether or not these efforts come to fruition, the organizing behind the scenes in the Liberal caucus marks a new chapter in the months-long saga around Trudeau’s leadership.
“For the first time since the June Toronto—St. Paul’s byelection, the caucus is now flexing its muscles,” said Perez.
“I don’t think it matters whether it’s 20 or 40, if there are a number of MPs organizing through this, I think it does demonstrate that something has changed,” he added. “I guess the ultimate question now is what comes of this?”
The Liberal Party of Canada announced during the weekend that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s chief of staff, Andrew Bevan, would serve as the party’s campaign director for the next federal campaign and Marjorie Michel will serve as deputy campaign director.
The MP said that the party can put whomever they like at the helm, “the die is cast.”
On Monday, the federal government ordered six Indian diplomats serving in Canada — including Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma — to leave the country over allegations of a broader campaign of violence against Sikh separatists.
Trudeau was asked about the issues in his caucus during a press conference when he announced the expulsion of Indian diplomats but said the issue is not front of mind.
“I had many conversations with members of my team and caucus members over the past number of days, and all those conversations were focused on the well-being and the safety of Canadians,” he told reporters.
Trudeau said it wasn’t the time to worry about politics.
“There will be time to talk about internal party intrigue at another moment. Right now, this government and indeed all parliamentarians should be focused on standing up for Canada’s sovereignty,” he said.
Another Liberal MP agreed that the India story is where the government’s energy should be right now.
“But that story will fade. And when it does, the story (of the Liberal caucus revolt) will remain. This story will not fizzle out,” predicted the MP.
The frustration towards the prime minister in the Liberal caucus has been mounting for a long time now, and anxiety amongst members of Parliament has only increased now that the party has lost crucial byelections in Toronto and Montreal over the summer.
In addition to the low polling numbers, many MPs understand that there are no more safe seats anymore.
The MP said Trudeau’s leadership is making it impossible to have a conversation with constituents about what the government has accomplished, like dental care or childcare.
“You’re kind of yelling into the wind,” they said.
Perez said that he has also heard from many Liberals who were very discouraged by Trudeau’s performance on Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith’s podcast because he kept on going about his record and had nothing new to announce.
Liberals have said that while they recognize that Trudeau is a good campaigner and does not get as much credit as he should for his government’s accomplishments, they have also grown frustrated with the prime minister and his office which they say are “tone-deaf.”
One MP expressed surprise that the media describes the Liberal caucus as “disciplined” and said it is not about loyalty, but about “self-interest.” But they said that many MPs are now more agitated than ever because they need to get re-elected in a few months.
They said that the frustration towards Trudeau is felt by a majority of caucus, even though many MPs are not willing to speak openly for now.
— With files from Ryan Tumilty.
National Post
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