Disgruntled Liberal MPs call for secret ballot vote on Trudeau's future

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed calls for him to step down last week, but that hasn’t deterred discontented Liberal MPs who urged him to resign from continuing their efforts.

Some MPs who have demanded Trudeau's resignation by today or face unspecified consequences are now attempting to initiate a secret ballot caucus vote regarding his future.

These MPs contend that if Trudeau refuses to resign amid this caucus rebellion, they will seek to remove him from office through alternative means.

They believe the ballot question should be straightforward: "Should Justin Trudeau lead us into the next election?"

"Given that many MPs, along with numerous Liberals and Canadians, feel that someone else should lead the Liberal Party into the next election, I think the best course of action is to hold a secret ballot vote. That would be beneficial for both the party and the country," stated Liberal MP Yvan Baker.

Baker emphasized that a secret ballot is essential so MPs can vote "without fear of repercussions or consequences."

"The prime minister and his team have repeatedly claimed he enjoys the support of the vast majority of caucus members. To me, that suggests he shouldn't have any concerns about submitting this to a secret ballot vote," Baker added.

Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi echoed Baker's call for a secret ballot.

"A secret ballot would settle this matter. We need some finality to this situation, and I believe that would help our party move forward," he commented.

In an interview with CBC's Rosemary Barton Live, Liberal MP Wayne Long also supported an internal vote regarding Trudeau's future. "We think a secret ballot would absolutely, once and for all, solve it, put it to bed," he said.

"If everyone believes they have substantial caucus support, then let’s resolve this. Let's just go to a secret ballot and see what the outcome is."

Long insists that Trudeau must step down and has cautioned that if he remains, the party risks a poor electoral performance in the next vote.

"Show me a poll, show me anything that indicates the prime minister can win this election," Long challenged.

"If we don't act decisively and make a significant change here, we’re going to allow [Conservative Leader] Pierre Poilievre to govern for the next one, two, or three terms. That would be disastrous for our country."

It remains unclear whether these Liberal MPs can even organize a caucus vote.

Unlike the Conservative caucus, the Liberal caucus did not adopt the provisions of the 2015 Reform Act, legislation aimed at increasing accountability of party leaders to their caucus members.

Under the act, if 20 percent of caucus members sign a petition calling for a leadership review, a vote is triggered. If the majority of MPs vote against the leader, that leader is required to resign. This provision was used to remove former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole in 2022.

However, the Reform Act stipulates that parties must vote on whether to adopt its measures after each general election, which the Liberals have never done.

The Liberal Party does have a "leadership endorsement" ballot option embedded in its constitution, allowing registered Liberals to vote on whether they still support the current leader at the party's national convention, but this vote is only activated if the party loses a general election.

Baker insisted that the Reform Act should not prevent MPs from attempting to hold a vote, arguing that it is the democratic course of action.

Trudeau did not publicly address the caucus pressure on Monday.

This silence may stem from his repeated statements that he has no intention of stepping down, even after 24 of his own MPs signed a document calling for his resignation.

Following losses in two Liberal strongholds during recent byelections, Trudeau reiterated his commitment to his position.

In an interview with Inside the Village, an Ontario news podcast aired over the weekend, Trudeau expressed his "determination to lead this party into the next election" and conveyed his "excitement about this fight."

Trudeau recalled winning in 2015 despite some polls indicating it would be a challenging contest and expressed confidence in his ability to do it again in the upcoming election.

"We achieved something significant by trusting Canadians and presenting a better, more responsible plan," Trudeau reflected on the 2015 election.

"To prejudge the outcome of an election at this stage is, I believe, unwise."

However, Trudeau's current poll numbers are significantly lower than they were nine years ago.

According to CBC's Poll Tracker, the Liberals are trailing by approximately 20 percentage points compared to the Conservatives.

Pollster David Coletto from Abacus Data published a poll on Sunday indicating an even larger lead for the Conservatives.

"The government's approval rating is at its lowest point ever," Coletto stated in an interview.

"And the prime minister's negatives have reached unprecedented highs, with about 60 percent of Canadians holding a negative view and only 23 percent expressing a positive view."