Roving Periscope: “Quit by Oct 28… or else,” angry Liberals MPs’ ultimatum to Trudeau

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: Amid the continuing crisis with India, and after last week’s reports that several Liberal MPs asked Justin Trudeau to resign, a fresh rebellion broke out in the ruling party on Wednesday when at least 24 of his party lawmakers, panicked at the prospects of losing power next year—or even before—demanded the resignation of Canada’s most unpopular Prime Minister in recent history, by October 28.

According to media reports, rebel Canadian parliamentarians grilled PM Trudeau during a closed-door meeting. Surveys suggested his ratings have plummeted to an all-time low—from 39 percent in September to 19 percent last week.

Pressure mounted on him as the Liberal Party MPs, who gathered on Canadian Hill for a closed-door meeting with the PM, demanded he quit by October 28.

According to CBC News, these ruling party MPs represented the rising discontent within the ruling party against its own leadership.

The weekly caucus meeting was called as the House of Commons is in session amid the growing discontent with Trudeau and his administration

During the meeting, a document outlining the case for Trudeau’s resignation was presented, although it did not specify any consequences if he failed to meet the deadline.

Quoting sources from Radio-Canada, CBC News reported that 24 Liberal MPs, out of 153, who held secret meetings to oust their leader and save their party from a potential poll rout, signed an agreement calling for Trudeau to step down as the leader of the Liberal Party.

Recent public opinion surveys suggested that, under Trudeau’s leadership, the Liberals may face a political collapse as the ruling party was defeated in two safest constituencies in special polls held in June and September, respectively, indicating the party’s increasing unpopularity.

The Liberals recently suffered upsets in special elections in two districts in Toronto and Montreal that the party has held for years, raising doubts about his leadership. 

Party-wise, the Liberals trail the opposition Conservatives 38 percent to 25 percent in the latest Nanos poll.

Some Liberal lawmakers reportedly even asked Trudeau not to run for a fourth term, with one MP, Ken McDonald, asserting that the PM must “start listening to the people.” 

“What was happening there … is really about MPs telling the PM the truth, whether he likes to hear it or not,” Trudeau ally and Immigration Minister Marc Miller said after the meeting.

Three Liberal MPs said they were among over 20-odd lawmakers from the party who signed a letter urging Trudeau to step down before the next election, due by October 2025. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp said 24 of the party’s 153 legislators had signed a letter calling on Trudeau to go.

Some Liberals, however, supported Trudeau claiming that the PM takes the feedback seriously. 

After the meeting, Trudeau insisted that his Liberal Party was “strong and united,” and that he would lead the Liberals into the next election, likely scheduled for next year.