News Brief
Kuldeep Negi
Oct 13, 2024, 03:07 PM | Updated 03:07 PM IST
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Lawmakers in Canada’s ruling Liberal Party are reportedly building pressure on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign.
According to local media reports, frustration within the party has reached a tipping point following recent byelection defeats in Toronto and Montreal, prompting a series of secretive meetings among disgruntled MPs.
Canadian broadcaster CBC reported that a minimum of 20 party leaders have already signed a document pushing for new leadership, marking a formal attempt to challenge Trudeau’s position.
The unexpected defeat in the Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection in June has fueled growing discontent within the Liberal caucus.
Tensions escalated further with the return of Parliament and worsened after another loss in Montreal byelection.
The absence of Trudeau and his chief of staff, Katie Telford, during a recent summit in Asia gave disgruntled MPs a chance to meet and devise a strategy for moving forward.
A article published on Friday in Toronto Star detailed efforts to publicly push Trudeau, 52, to resign.
“At least 30 to 40 MPs” are ready to sign a letter, the newspaper reported.
The Liberal Party currently holds 153 seats in the House of Commons.
The document, described more as a pledge than a formal letter, seeks to secure a commitment from MPs to push for Trudeau's resignation, creating a binding agreement should pushback from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) occur.
MPs involved in this effort are aware that acting prematurely could weaken their cause, a concern highlighted by divisions seen after the Toronto byelection loss.
One MP who has signed the pledge described it to CBC as an “insurance policy,” stating, "We needed to act before the pressure from the PMO intensifies."
Trade Minister Mary Ng, returning from Laos with Trudeau, expressed her disappointment over the MPs’ plan and affirmed her complete confidence in the Prime Minister, according to the Canadian Press.
In September, Trudeau’s parliamentary agreement with Jagmeet Singh led NDP, which had been key to maintaining his leadership, collapsed.
Later that month, he narrowly withstood a bid from the opposition Conservatives to trigger an election.
Kuldeep is Senior Editor (Newsroom) at Swarajya. He tweets at @kaydnegi.