۴ý

Politics

    • Trudeau says Liberals 'strong and united' despite caucus dissent

    Share

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is "strong and united," despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.

    While he wouldn’t stop to take questions from reporters, Trudeau made the comment as caucus members made their way out of an exceptionally long and high-stakes meeting Wednesday, during which many of them were set to confront the prime minister and ask him to step down.

    The highly anticipated meeting took place behind closed doors. It came after a group of MPs had been organizing behind the scenes for the last two weeks to ask the prime minister to reconsider his political future at the helm of the Liberal party.

    It’s unclear exactly how many MPs are part of the effort to oust him, though sources have told ۴ý it’s at least 20, largely from Atlantic Canada and southwestern Ontario.

    It had been reported that some form of letter or written pledge had been circulating among Liberal MPs in the lead-up to today's meeting. But according to sources with knowledge of what was ultimately brought to Trudeau, that did not include any list of names or signatures.

    Many MPs and cabinet ministers have also insisted they support the prime minister, and put up a united front following Wednesday’s meeting. But sources also tell ۴ý it was "tense" in the room, and the prime minister was sometimes "touchy," insisting he wants to stay on as leader.

    Sources also say no cabinet ministers got up to the mic, but about 50 backbenchers did.

    National Defence Minister Bill Blair said while he wouldn’t elaborate on what took place, it included “healthy,” “excellent,” and “robust” discussion.

    “I think that we are united behind our leader,” he said. “And everybody in that room was focused on the task ahead, which is defeating (Conservative Leader) Pierre Poilievre.”

    “I'm absolutely certain in my conviction that the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is the right person to lead us,” said Health Minister Mark Holland.

    While some MPs have been more overt in their dissent — including longtime Liberal MP Sean Casey, who confirmed on Monday he’d signed a pledge asking Trudeau to resign — some have tiptoed around the issue, refusing to directly say whether they support the prime minister, and saying instead this is an opportunity for a caucus discussion.

    Leaving Wednesday’s meeting, when asked whether he’d clarify where things stand with caucus, Casey said, “Nope,” and when asked how the meeting went, he said “great … just great,” adding he’s “not allowed to say.”

    On his way out of the meeting, MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith wouldn’t describe the tone of the discussion, when asked by reporters.

    “I think there's absolutely a path forward where the prime minister can turn things around,” he said. “I think if ultimately we throw everything at the wall and he's getting tuned out, that's a different story. I don't think we're there yet.”

    He also said it’s up to Trudeau to reflect on what he hears from caucus and come back with a plan.

    “I think it's really important when you have so many colleagues that are expressing frustration, and I've expressed frustration over the years at different times, it's very important that that feedback is listened to,” Erskine-Smith said.

    The Liberals have faced lacklustre polling numbers for more than a year, sometimes trailing behind the Conservatives by more than 20 points.

    Plus, two recent significant byelection losses in traditionally safe Liberal seats, coupled with the end of the supply-and-confidence agreement with the NDP, have led to a more precarious Parliament. Minority government dynamics are in play, as is a looming ultimatum from the Bloc Québécois to potentially work with the other parties to topple the Liberals if they don’t ensure two Bloc-led bills become law.

    “I think caucus is nervous because of the polling that's been constantly going down in favour of Liberals,” said Liberal MP Ken McDonald, on his way into the meeting on Wednesday, adding he hopes to stay in caucus until the next election, at which point he will not be running again.

    He said voting with the Opposition is an option going forward, depending on the results from today’s meeting, but that it’s not something he’s currently considering.

    MP Wayne Long, also on his way into the meeting, said the important byelection losses in Toronto and Montreal prove the party needs change.

    While he said he respects caucus confidentiality, he was expecting a “robust, frank, and difficult discussion.”

    “I’m looking forward to expressing my views. I don’t think it’s any secret to anybody what my views are, that we do need a change in leadership,” he said. “But in the end, caucus majority will rule, and I’ll be able to look in the mirror, and say my piece, and we’ll see what happens.”

    Trudeau arrived for the meeting an hour and a half early, with his suit jacket slung over his shoulder, smiling at reporters and wishing them a “good day,” though he didn’t stop for questions.

    He has insisted he’ll lead the party into the next election, and when asked directly on Tuesday whether he’s worried about his leadership, he replied simply “No.”

    Some cabinet ministers, including Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, have tried to shift the focus, saying it’s more important to take aim at the Opposition Conservatives than engage in party in-fighting.

    “There’s a … what would you call it? Some palace drama going on right now,” Boissonnault told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s meeting. “And that takes us away from the number one job, which is focusing on Canadians and focusing on the important policies, but also on showing the really clear contrast between our government, our party, and Pierre Poilievre.”

    “Any minute spent on this garbage is a minute that's not spent on Pierre Poilievre and what he wants to do to this country," Miller said on Tuesday.

    The decision on whether to step down is ultimately up to Trudeau, with no formal mechanism in place that caucus can use to force him out.

    Wednesday caucus meetings typically take about two hours, though today’s ran for nearly three and a half.

    Just over an hour after the meeting broke, Trudeau and his caucus entered the House of Commons for question period. As the prime minister rose to answer Poilievre's first question, Trudeau received a standing ovation from the majority of his MPs.

    Then, pointing to the internal Liberal drama, Poilievre asked Trudeau repeatedly if he was ready to call an election.

    Alluding to MPs not having their phones in the caucus room but then reportedly darting out to the bathroom to text reporters, the Official Opposition leader asked: "Will the prime minister text those dissident Liberal MPs, tell them to come out of the bathroom, and tell the whole world that he's not worth the cost?"

    Trudeau replied that in his caucus, “people have always been free to speak their mind and have different perspectives.”

    In the lead-up to Wednesday's meeting, an entirely separate call was mounting for Trudeau to go, stemming from a "spontaneous grassroots Liberal-Party effort," according to organizer Andrew Perez.

    A petition titled Project Code Red was sent out to thousands of Liberals on Tuesday, and it calls on the party's national executive and caucus to organize a secret ballot on the leadership question.

    But as Perez told ۴ý, the petition includes other issues, such as fundraising and the policy platform, beyond just calls for a leadership change.

    It has been signed by 24 MPs, Perez said, though it's otherwise separate from caucus and involves more of the party's grassroots.

    With files from ۴ý’ Rachel Aiello, Rachel Hanes, Vassy Kapelos, and Noah Wachter

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

    The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    Canada

    • The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    • A man is dead following an RCMP shooting near a hospital in B.C.’s Okanagan on Tuesday afternoon, prompting an investigation by the province’s police watchdog.

    • A new report suggests that Canadians' exposure to a radioactive gas is increasing, putting millions of people at a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

    • A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    • A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    • The estimated population of North Atlantic right whales increased in 2023, but a group of international marine scientists say human behaviour still poses a significant threat to the critically endangered species.

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

    • A man who fired at least 19 gunshots at an RCMP detachment in northern British Columbia, narrowly missing officers inside, has won a reduced prison sentence from the province's highest court, which ruled the sentencing judge failed to fully weigh the man's mental illness at the time.

    • A man is dead following an RCMP shooting near a hospital in B.C.’s Okanagan on Tuesday afternoon, prompting an investigation by the province’s police watchdog.

    • Mounties in Burnaby say a man they identified as a suspect in a string of thefts from a single store in Metrotown has been criminally charged.

    • He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

    • The federal government says it can’t wait any longer for Ontario to end encampments in its cities and will offer money directly to municipalities, including Toronto, to fix the problem.

    • The Smith government says it's coming to the defence of Albertans and its regulated professionals who have had their freedom of expression limited and forced into training beyond the scope of their practice.

    • Calgary police say thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods and a loaded shotgun were seized from an encampment in the community of Ogden.

    • Rebecca Marino is moving closer to returning to the Top 100 after winning the Calgary National Bank Challenger tournament Sunday at Osten and Victor Alberta Tennis Centre.

    • A Zamboni driver in western Quebec has been arrested on suspicion of impaired driving after a low-speed crash at a hockey rink on Monday.

    • Popular Kanata restaurant D'Arcy McGee's has suddenly closed its doors. In a post on Facebook Tuesday night, D'Arcy McGee's said, "We will sadly be closing our doors."

    • The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada is now joining the Canadian Association of Public Employees (CAPE) in calling on the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates to conduct a "thorough investigation.

    • Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante will not be seeking re-election.

    • The number of patients waiting for cancer surgeries recently hit a new high in Quebec and on Wednesday the opposition was accusing the provincial health minister of dodging questions on the issue.

    • The two environmental activists who climbed to the top of the Jacques Cartier Bridge early on Tuesday morning in Montreal have been charged with mischief and resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

    • The Alberta government's recent use of a rarely used measure to intervene in labour disputes is a sign of what's to come, says a labour policy professor.

    • An Edmonton tow truck operator has been charged after police say he refused to release a vehicle to its owner.

    • Edmonton has been named one of the top cities in Lonely Planet’s "Best in Travel" for 2025.

    • A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.

    • The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.

    • The Nova Scotia government says it plans to reduce the province's harmonized sales tax (HST) rate by one percentage point next year.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.

    • A 59-year-old man has died following a crash involving three vehicles that startED after a tire fell off a car on the Trans-Canada Highway Wednesday morning in the RM of Tache.

    • Police are asking for the public's help finding a 27-year-old inmate who was mistakenly released from custody in Manitoba.

    • Regina police says officers will provide an update Thursday in its search for the suspect of a homicide that took place in the city during the summer of 2023.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP says it doesn't believe that a threat directed at Yorkton Regional High School is credible at this time.

    • Zackary Bellegarde, who faced multiple charges relating to the possession and distribution of child pornography, has pled guilty.

    • Detective Robert Hofstetter examined Erb’s home after her death and came to several conclusions based on the blood stains he found there.

    • A man is miraculously alive after driving his pickup truck through the fence and down a 150-foot embankment at Hawk Cliff in near Port Stanley, Ont.

    • Court is hearing that a man who stabbed a professor and two students in a University of Waterloo gender studies class last year may have experienced a psychotic break in the weeks before the attack.

    • Saskatoon Public Library workers are in a strike position following the rejection of a tentative agreement with the employer.

    • Candidates across Saskatchewan are making their final pitches to potential voters as the 2024 election campaign is quickly approaching its end.

    • Saskatoon police are investigating after a group of teenagers discharged bear spray on a city bus Tuesday evening.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      A Sudbury jury has found Felicity Altiman guilty of second-degree murder in the December 2020 stabbing death of a Sudbury man.

    • It only took minutes for North Bay pharmacist Brian Chute to be out $1,500 after fraudsters deceptively swapped his bank card with another.

    • Greater Sudbury has ended the employment of CAO Ed Archer, Mayor Paul Lefebvre announced suddenly Tuesday evening

    • A man is miraculously alive after driving his pickup truck through the fence and down a 150-foot embankment at Hawk Cliff in near Port Stanley, Ont.

    • Police said the house is believed to be empty and abandoned and it's not known yet if the driver of the truck is injured.

    • Frustration over long wait times has spurred a doctor to create a new eating disorders clinic in London, Ont. ‘The Harbour’ is located inside Western University Research Park.

    • A haunted house in the Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.

    • A 34-year-old motorcyclist has died following a collision in Barrie’s south end on Tuesday.

    • Barrie police conducted a search on Wednesday of the last place Autumn Shaganash was seen in hopes of giving her family some answers to her mysterious disappearance.

    • As hospitals elsewhere in Ontario reintroduce mask mandates due to rising respiratory illnesses, Windsor hospitals are taking a more measured approach.

    • Windsor police are looking to identify four suspects after a pizza delivery driver was allegedly robbed and assaulted.

    • A new mental health and addictions service inventory is launching for those looking for help with mental health and addition in Windsor and Essex County.

    • A man who fired at least 19 gunshots at an RCMP detachment in northern British Columbia, narrowly missing officers inside, has won a reduced prison sentence from the province's highest court, which ruled the sentencing judge failed to fully weigh the man's mental illness at the time.

    • An oil salvage operation is underway on the fragile wreckage of a U.S. army transport ship that sank almost 80 years ago off coastal British Columbia in a race to head off an eruption of thousands of litres of oil that a coast guard official says is "near imminent."

    • Green Leader Sonia Furstenau is set to meet the media for the first time since British Columbia's indecisive election on Saturday, amid speculation about a possible minority government.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • A proposed coal mine — not tourism — is critical in revitalizing southwestern Alberta communities along the edge of the Rockies, a group in favour of a controversial project maintains.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • The health of honeybees will be the focus of a presentation at the University of Lethbridge on Wednesday evening.

    • The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won’t fix the systemic problems in the workplace.

    • Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

    • An Indigenous group in northwestern Ontario shut down the highway for a couple of hours Monday morning in protest after ancestral remains were found at a construction site.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow ۴ý