Liberal MP says her constituents are 'very adamant' Justin Trudeau needs to go

Quebec Liberal MP Alexandra Mendes stated on Monday that over the summer, she received feedback from "dozens and dozens" of constituents urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down after nearly nine years in office.

Speaking to Radio-Canada at the Liberal caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C., Mendes said her constituents were "very adamant the prime minister needs to go."

While Mendes personally supports Trudeau remaining in his role, she emphasized, "my constituents do not see Mr. Trudeau as the person who should lead the party into the next election, and that's the message that I carry."

She added, "I didn’t hear it from two or three people. I heard it from dozens and dozens of people," stating that, in their view, "he’s no longer the right leader."

Mendes is among a small group of Liberal MPs who have voiced public concerns about dissatisfaction with Trudeau’s leadership.

When asked if the party would fare better without Trudeau, Mendes responded, "Yes, that's what I would deduct from all the comments that I heard. It's not the Liberal Party per se that is the cause. It's really the leadership of the prime minister."

Mendes expressed her sadness over this sentiment, noting, "It saddens me that the prime minister isn’t being given the credit he deserves for the many, many wonderful things he did, or very good transformative things he did for Canada." However, she acknowledged that if she listens to her constituents, "yes, I have to say we would have to change leadership."

If Trudeau remains in place, Mendes argued that the party needs to improve its communication of what she sees as numerous successes, pointing to programs such as the Canada Child Benefit, daycare fee reductions, interest-free loans for students, and housing and health care initiatives.

While the Liberals have promoted these accomplishments in fundraising emails, they haven't run a national advertising campaign similar to the one the Conservative Party has been airing.

Mendes plans to share her constituents' concerns with Trudeau when she and other MPs meet with him and the cabinet for the first Liberal caucus meeting in months. Some MPs had pushed for such a meeting earlier, but party caucus chair Brenda Shanahan cited "scheduling logistics" as the reason for the delay.

Mendes anticipates other MPs will express similar concerns after a challenging summer, which included the party's loss of a byelection in Toronto-St. Paul's — a former Liberal stronghold won by Conservative candidate Don Stewart in June. Some Toronto voters viewed the byelection as a referendum on Trudeau's leadership.

The Liberals are also contending with additional challenges, including the resignation of their national campaign director, the end of their supply-and-confidence agreement with the NDP, and an upcoming three-way battle in the LaSalle-Émard-Verdun byelection in Montreal on Sept. 16. The Liberals are not expected to be competitive in another byelection that day in the Winnipeg-area riding of Elmwood-Transcona.