Prime minister faces mounting pressure to step aside from inside caucus

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will face mounting pressure from his caucus this week to step down from the leadership of the Liberal party.

A group of backbench MPs, primarily from Atlantic Canada and southwestern Ontario, are in discussions to formally release an ask for the prime minister to consider the future of the Liberal party in making a decision about whether to stay at the helm of it.

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Though MPs for months have lamented behind closed doors, and yes even to reporters, that they were resigned in their belief the prime minister was staying on, things changed this week during caucus Wednesday.

Both the prime minister and his top staffer were absent from the regular weekly meeting, a rare occurrence. And as discussion turned to the challenges the party faces, vis-a-vis the most recent byelection results in Montreal and Toronto and sustained public opinion polling, things became – as one MP recounted to CTV News – "fraught."

A "secret" caucus

After asking staff from the Prime Minister's Office to leave, a group of those MPs broke off after caucus in what three of them told CTV News was like a "secret" caucus. It was during this meeting talk of something more formal developed, though other MPs in the group insisted they wanted to tell the prime minister directly. That has not happened.

CTV News spoke to 24 Liberal MPs Friday, about half of whom said they were aware of a so-called letter circulating but had not put their name to it. Half a dozen of the MPs said they had heard "about 30 people are signing it" but had not seen the signatures themselves. Three MPs told us they could only speak for themselves but would support the prime minister re-considering his bid to lead the party into the next election and another three MPs said it was "news" to them the letter existed.

Each MP requested anonymity out of concern of reprisal for speaking out. Many told CTV News the Prime Minister's Office has taken a harder line on MPs leaking to the press as of late.

The news of a formal ask of the prime minister to step aside was first reported by the Toronto Star.

PM in Laos

The prime minister has been in Laos for most of the week, attending the ASEAN summit. The plane he is travelling in landed in Honolulu Friday evening for a refuelling.

The prime minister and his staff learned of these reports as they landed. About twenty minutes later, Trade Minister Mary Ng spoke to reporters travelling with the prime minister.

“I'm disappointed,” she said. “Because Canadians expect us to be focusing on Canadians and doing this work.”

Ng insisted the prime minister has her support.

“I have full confidence in Justin Trudeau as my leader.” 

With files from CTV News' Stephanie Ha, Brennan MacDonald and Rachel Aiello.