Trudeau says Liberals 'strong and united' despite caucus dissent

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is "strong and united," despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.

While he wouldn’t stop to take questions from reporters, Trudeau made the comment as caucus members made their way out of an exceptionally long and high-stakes meeting Wednesday, during which many of them were set to confront the prime minister and ask him to step down.

The highly anticipated meeting took place behind closed doors. It came after a group of MPs had been organizing behind the scenes for the last two weeks to ask the prime minister to reconsider his political future at the helm of the Liberal party.

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It’s unclear exactly how many MPs are part of the effort to oust him, though sources have told CTV News it’s at least 20, largely from Atlantic Canada and southwestern Ontario.

It had been reported that some form of letter or written pledge had been circulating among Liberal MPs in the lead-up to today's meeting. But according to sources with knowledge of what was ultimately brought to Trudeau, that did not include any list of names or signatures.

Many MPs and cabinet ministers have also insisted they support the prime minister, and put up a united front following Wednesday’s meeting. But sources also tell CTV News it was "tense" in the room, and the prime minister was sometimes "touchy," insisting he wants to stay on as leader.

Sources also say no cabinet ministers got up to the mic, but dozens of backbenchers did, many of them saying they want the prime minister to step down. Some of those backbenchers also issued the prime minister a sort of deadline, urging him to reflect and make a decision within the week, according to sources.

While they did not specify what the consequences might be if Trudeau decides to stay on as leader, some MPs said they would not run again in the next election, if that were the case.

National Defence Minister Bill Blair said while he wouldn’t elaborate on what took place, it included “healthy,” “excellent,” and “robust” discussion.

“I think that we are united behind our leader,” he said. “And everybody in that room was focused on the task ahead, which is defeating (Conservative Leader) Pierre Poilievre.”

“I'm absolutely certain in my conviction that the prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is the right person to lead us,” said Health Minister Mark Holland.

While some MPs have been more overt in their dissent — including longtime Liberal MP Sean Casey, who confirmed on Monday he’d signed a pledge asking Trudeau to resign — some have tiptoed around the issue, refusing to directly say whether they support the prime minister, and saying instead this is an opportunity for a caucus discussion.

Leaving Wednesday’s meeting, when asked whether he’d clarify where things stand with caucus, Casey said, “Nope,” and when asked how the meeting went, he said “great … just great,” adding he’s “not allowed to say.”

On his way out of the meeting, MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith wouldn’t describe the tone of the discussion, when asked by reporters.

“I think there's absolutely a path forward where the prime minister can turn things around,” he said. “I think if ultimately we throw everything at the wall and he's getting tuned out, that's a different story. I don't think we're there yet.”

He also said it’s up to Trudeau to reflect on what he hears from caucus and come back with a plan.

“I think it's really important when you have so many colleagues that are expressing frustration, and I've expressed frustration over the years at different times, it's very important that that feedback is listened to,” Erskine-Smith said.

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The Liberals have faced lacklustre polling numbers for more than a year, sometimes trailing behind the Conservatives by more than 20 points.

Plus, two recent significant byelection losses in traditionally safe Liberal seats, coupled with the end of the supply-and-confidence agreement with the NDP, have led to a more precarious Parliament. Minority government dynamics are in play, as is a looming ultimatum from the Bloc Québécois to potentially work with the other parties to topple the Liberals if they don’t ensure two Bloc-led bills become law.

“I think caucus is nervous because of the polling that's been constantly going down in favour of Liberals,” said Liberal MP Ken McDonald, on his way into the meeting on Wednesday, adding he hopes to stay in caucus until the next election, at which point he will not be running again.

He said voting with the Opposition is an option going forward, depending on the results from today’s meeting, but that it’s not something he’s currently considering.

MP Wayne Long, also on his way into the meeting, said the important byelection losses in Toronto and Montreal prove the party needs change.

While he said he respects caucus confidentiality, he was expecting a “robust, frank, and difficult discussion.”

“I’m looking forward to expressing my views. I don’t think it’s any secret to anybody what my views are, that we do need a change in leadership,” he said. “But in the end, caucus majority will rule, and I’ll be able to look in the mirror, and say my piece, and we’ll see what happens.”

Trudeau arrived for the meeting an hour and a half early, with his suit jacket slung over his shoulder, smiling at reporters and wishing them a “good day,” though he didn’t stop for questions.

He has insisted he’ll lead the party into the next election, and when asked directly on Tuesday whether he’s worried about his leadership, he replied simply “No.”

Some cabinet ministers, including Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, have tried to shift the focus, saying it’s more important to take aim at the Opposition Conservatives than engage in party in-fighting.

“There’s a … what would you call it? Some palace drama going on right now,” Boissonnault told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s meeting. “And that takes us away from the number one job, which is focusing on Canadians and focusing on the important policies, but also on showing the really clear contrast between our government, our party, and Pierre Poilievre.”

“Any minute spent on this garbage is a minute that's not spent on Pierre Poilievre and what he wants to do to this country," Miller said on Tuesday.

The decision on whether to step down is ultimately up to Trudeau, with no formal mechanism in place that caucus can use to force him out.

Wednesday caucus meetings typically take about two hours, though today’s ran for nearly three and a half.

Just over an hour after the meeting broke, Trudeau and his caucus entered the House of Commons for question period. As the prime minister rose to answer Poilievre's first question, Trudeau received a standing ovation from the majority of his MPs.

Then, pointing to the internal Liberal drama, Poilievre asked Trudeau repeatedly if he was ready to call an election.

Alluding to MPs not having their phones in the caucus room but then reportedly darting out to the bathroom to text reporters, the Official Opposition leader asked: "Will the prime minister text those dissident Liberal MPs, tell them to come out of the bathroom, and tell the whole world that he's not worth the cost?"

Trudeau replied that in his caucus, “people have always been free to speak their mind and have different perspectives.”

In the lead-up to Wednesday's meeting, an entirely separate call was mounting for Trudeau to go, stemming from a "spontaneous grassroots Liberal-Party effort," according to organizer Andrew Perez.

A petition titled Project Code Red was sent out to thousands of Liberals on Tuesday, and it calls on the party's national executive and caucus to organize a secret ballot on the leadership question.

But as Perez told CTV News, the petition includes other issues, such as fundraising and the policy platform, beyond just calls for a leadership change.

It has been signed by 24 MPs, Perez said, though it's otherwise separate from caucus and involves more of the party's grassroots.

With files from CTV News’ Rachel Aiello, Rachel Hanes, Vassy Kapelos, and Noah Wachter