Dissatisfied Liberal MPs plan to ask PM Trudeau to step aside at next caucus meeting

Liberal MPs who have spent the last 10 days organizing to formally ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside from the leadership of the Liberal Party plan to plead their case directly to him at next Wednesday’s caucus.

Multiple sources familiar with the plan told CTV News the overarching objective is to be direct with the prime minister and keep the discussions private. Some MPs will be designated in advance, based on their comfort level speaking on the issue, to reflect the group’s sentiment that Trudeau should step aside for the good of the party in the next federal election.

MPs who spoke to CTV News on the condition of anonymity said they also plan to voice their frustration with the way in which the Prime Minister’s Office has handled the loss of two significant byelections in historically Liberal-safe ridings in Toronto and Montreal.

Those MPs were convinced by the prime minister’s communications staff at a caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C .in early September that a substantive plan was underway to react to the losses and sentiment underpinning them, but that never happened.

MPs in Atlantic Canada were particularly frustrated in their conversations with CTV News on the issue.

Since Friday, CTV News has spoken with 35 Liberal MPs, five of whom confirmed they endorse the plan to formally ask the prime minister to step aside.

The majority of those MPs said they are aware of the existence of such a letter but would not confirm signing it.

On CTV News Channel’s Power Play Tuesday, Montreal Liberal MP Anthony Housefather did not deny the existence of a letter, nor that caucus wants the prime minister to step aside.

When asked if he supports the prime minister, Housefather replied, “I support whoever is leader of my party at all times, but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a robust caucus discussion about who the best person to lead us in the next election is.”

Housefather insisted that discussion should happen within caucus, not in the media.

Each party’s caucus regularly meets on Parliament Hill Wednesday when the House of Commons is sitting. This week is a break week in the House’s calendar, but the MPs are scheduled to sit again next week.

The only thing that would change that is if the prime minister prorogued Parliament, something both the Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Government House Leader Karina Gould have both said is not on the table.

Earlier this week, the prime minister was asked about the possibility of a so-called internal revolt during a press conference on a separate issue, the serious allegations against the Government of India.

Trudeau told reporters that “there will be time to talk about internal party intrigue at another moment.

But right now, this government, and indeed all parliamentarians, should be focused on standing up for Canada’s sovereignty, standing against interference, and looking to be there to support Canadians in this difficult moment.”