Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for caucus, on Sept. 25.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland maintained Friday that the Prime Minister still has the support of the vast majority of his caucus, just days before Justin Trudeau must face his detractors in person, when MPs return to Parliament Hill next week.
A caucus protest that fizzled out in July has turned into a more focused effort, with some members of the Prime Minister’s backbench expected to present within days an official demand that he step down.
There had been an earlier expectation the demand would come first in writing as soon as this weekend, followed by an open microphone session at the party’s caucus meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday.
But, a public confirmation that four more cabinet ministers aren’t running again – opening up coveted cabinet positions – appears to have blunted momentum, three MPs told The Globe and Mail Friday, and talks on next steps continue.
The Globe reported this week that at least 20 MPs agreed to put their names to the attempt to oust Mr. Trudeau. However, there is still uncertainty around how many will actually speak when face-to-face with the Prime Minister and there is no consensus in his office over just how serious the threat is.
Ms. Freeland told reporters in Winnipeg on Friday that Mr. Trudeau still has her support. She believes the dissenters are in the minority.
“Obviously, in our caucus, as in any caucus, there is going to be a wide range of views,” Ms. Freeland said. “I am absolutely confident that the vast majority of members of our caucus support the Prime Minister.”
This week, PEI Liberal MP Sean Casey told The Globe it is not a tiny group.
Still he said he doesn’t “have a sense for whether it’s a quarter, a third or a half” of Liberal MPs. Mr. Casey is one of three MPs who have publicly called for Mr. Trudeau to resign his post. The others are New Brunswick’s Wayne Long and Quebec’s Alexandra Mendès.
Six MPs told The Globe over the past week they wouldn’t sign a letter to oust Mr. Trudeau but that doesn’t mean he should stay on – a sentiment they all insist is widely shared in caucus.
The Globe is not identifying the MPs so they could speak without fear of repercussion.
The Prime Minister has been working the phones this week to speak with his MPs one-on-one ahead of the caucus meeting next week, but a senior government official said the focus now is on getting the Liberal campaign ready. The official pointed to the announcement of a new campaign director last weekend and the Prime Minister’s performance at the foreign-interference inquiry as proof points. They said that testimony should make it clear to people that Mr. Trudeau is not thinking of walking away.
The Globe is not identifying the official because they were not permitted to disclose the private discussion.
Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal – among the four cabinet ministers not running again – said Friday there is still time to turn things around.
“I’m very confident that the polls are going to tighten up as time goes on, and I think it would be foolish to vote against the Liberal Party,” he said at the event with Ms. Freeland.
There are MPs who have spoken with The Globe who say it is the good of the Liberal Party itself that concerns them, and fears it will get politically obliterated with Mr. Trudeau at the helm. They say, however, there is no guarantee a new leader would make a difference, and no consensus around who that leader should be.
One of the potential contenders, former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney, was asked in a podcast released Friday if he is prepared to put his name on a ballot at some point.
“I’m taking steps that support that, support the party, because I believe in the party. I believe in the Liberal Party. I think it’s got the right values,” Mr. Carney told host Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, before adding: “Look, the opportunity may present itself. This is what I can do right now and I’m doing it to the best of my ability.”
Others are framing a desire for Mr. Trudeau to step down as not just good for the party but necessary for the country.
Eddie Goldenberg, who was chief of staff to former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien, argued in an essay published Friday that with the Parti Québécois ascendant in Quebec, there is a national-unity crisis on the horizon that will need someone to solve.
He called on the Prime Minister not to run again. If Mr. Trudeau loses the next election, he won’t have any influence or leverage to play that role, Mr. Goldenberg wrote.
“An undefeated Justin Trudeau could very well be the difference between saving Canada and seeing the breakup of it. This is a most powerful reason for Mr. Trudeau to retire now before it is too late.”
With a report from Bill Curry