'Vast majority' of Liberal MPs support Trudeau, Freeland says

Photo: Adrian Wyld The Canadian Press “There is a diversity of views in our caucus as there is in every caucus, but I am absolutely confident that the vast majority of MPs support the prime minister,” Chrystia Freeland said.

Émilie Bergeron – The Canadian Press in Ottawa

Published at 4:00 p.m.

• Canada

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland believes the “vast majority” of the Liberal caucus is behind their leader, Justin Trudeau.

The prime minister and Liberal leader has been facing discontent from MPs questioning his leadership for months.

Some have called on him to step aside, most making the request anonymously to various media outlets. So far, MPs Wayne Long and Sean Casey have done so openly.

“There is a diversity of views in our caucus as there is in every caucus, but I am absolutely confident that the vast majority of MPs support the Prime Minister,” Freeland said from Manitoba.

In recent days, several media reports have described plans by several Liberal MPs to join forces to convince Mr. Trudeau to resign as leader before the next election. It is not known how many MPs have signed a letter that is circulating to this effect, nor how many of them plan to run again in the next election.

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A vote of confidence within the caucus ?

One thing is certain: the upcoming Liberal caucus meeting, scheduled for next Wednesday, is likely to be eventful.

Mr. Trudeau has been saying for months that he is determined to run for prime minister in the next general election and that he wants to take on Conservative Pierre Poilievre.

The Conservatives have had a significant lead in voting intentions for more than a year.

Justin Trudeau’s troops also recently suffered two crushing defeats in Liberal strongholds in two byelections: one in Toronto–St. Paul’s, Ontario, and the other in LaSalle–Émard–Verdun, Quebec.

The caucus can’t force Trudeau to resign, but one MP told The Canadian Press that MPs are discussing the possibility of calling a secret confidence vote at the caucus meeting next Wednesday.

It’s in this context that the prime minister will have to reshuffle his cards and proceed with a cabinet shuffle, since four new members of his cabinet have decided not to run in the next election.

One of them, Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, clarified Friday that his decision is in no way a disavowal of the prime minister.

“The fact that I’m retiring has nothing to do with my thoughts against the Liberal Party or the prime minister. I have confidence in the prime minister, 100 per cent.” “I have confidence in our party,” he said alongside Chrystia Freeland.

He noted that he will soon turn 65 and that it was a good time for him to move on to “another chapter” in his life.

None of the four ministers immediately left the cabinet. Mr. Vandal said in a written statement that he was “working with the Prime Minister’s Office to ensure an orderly transition.”

His colleagues who, like him, will not be in the next federal election are cabinet ministers Marie-Claude Bibeau, Filomena Tassi and Carla Qualtrough.

With information from Laura Osman