Canadian cabinet expresses support for Trudeau as some Liberals prepare to confront him

TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s deputy prime minister says she believes Justin Trudeau has the support of a majority of Liberals in Parliament, as some prepare to confront him on Wednesday, hoping to convince him to resign.

Chrystia Freeland and other Cabinet members voiced support for the prime minister on Tuesday ahead of a wider meeting with colleagues.

Several Liberals signed a letter hoping to persuade Trudeau to resign before the next election. It was not clear how many signed.

“The vast majority of Liberal Members of Parliament support the Prime Minister, support him as the leader of our government, support him as the leader of our party and support him as the man who will lead us in the next election,” Freeland said. .

Freeland said he is more confident in that after meetings over the past 36 hours.

The Liberals recently suffered disruptions in special elections in districts the party has held for years, raising questions about Trudeau’s leadership. Losing a district in Canada’s largest city, Toronto, a traditional Liberal stronghold, does not bode well.

Several liberal lawmakers have said they will not run again.

Trudeau has said he will lead the party into the election, which will take place anytime between this fall and October 2025. His Liberal party must have the support of at least one major party in Parliament, as the Liberals do not have a majority in Parliament. House of Commons.

The Bloc Quebecois opposition leader said his party will work with the Conservative and NDP parties to oust the Liberals and force an election if the government doesn’t increase old-age security payments for seniors.

“The whole story is now: what Justin Trudeau, superstar, will do in the coming days,” said bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet.

Trudeau’s Liberals have been in power since 2015, but Canadians are frustrated with the cost of living resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trudeau reaffirmed the country’s liberal identity in 2015, after nearly 10 years of conservative government. His legacy includes opening the doors to immigration. He also legalized cannabis and created a carbon tax to combat climate change.

“Anyone who ever bet against Justin Trudeau regrets making that bet the next day,” said Labor Minister Randy Boissonnault.

Some ministers acknowledged that some colleagues do not agree.

“Whenever there are voices of dissent, we have to deal with them, we have to listen to them carefully,” said Labor Minister Stephen MacKinnon.

“We have to deal with them and present a unified face to Canadians.”

Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre egged the prime minister on the potential revolt.

“The reality is that he cannot run the government because he is too busy fighting for his job after nine years,” Poilievre said.

Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said the lifespan of Canadian prime ministers has been about a decade over the past 75 years.

“Trudeau’s time is up. Scandals over the years have tarnished his image. He deflects or evades rather than answering direct questions. There is a popular appetite for change. Most Canadians have tuned him out,” he said.

“He’s the reason the Liberals went from the wilderness to power in 2015, but it’s not 2015 anymore.”

Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, came to power in 1968 on a wave of “Trudeaumania” and led Canada for almost 16 years.