Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has found himself navigating a delicate political storm brewing within his own Liberal Party. Behind closed doors, a quiet but significant revolt has been gaining traction among his fellow Members of Parliament (MPs), urging the prime minister to step down. The lawmakers involved have been cautious in their approach, hoping to avoid a public spectacle or outright humiliation for the man who has led the party since 2013.
The murmurs of discontent have grown louder since Parliament reconvened this fall. Meetings among dissatisfied MPs have been held in private rooms just steps away from the prime minister’s office. Their aim? To convince Trudeau to voluntarily step aside. Despite their strategic secrecy, the story inevitably leaked to the media, escalating an internal crisis into a public drama that has put Trudeau’s leadership under a glaring spotlight.
“It was supposed to be very private and never become public,” admitted one Liberal backbencher involved in the effort to unseat Trudeau. “No one is out to humiliate the prime minister.” The lawmakers’ hope was to express their frustration discreetly, with no intention of causing Trudeau or his office public embarrassment. However, the plan’s exposure has turned what was intended as an internal dialogue into a national conversation about the future of Trudeau’s leadership.
Despite these rumblings, no MP has openly positioned themselves as Trudeau’s successor. Leading figures within the party, including high-profile cabinet members like Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, and others, have remained silent, biding their time and waiting for Trudeau to leave on his own terms.
Trudeau’s decline mirrors the struggles faced by many leaders in the Western world, who are grappling with post-pandemic economic difficulties. From the United Kingdom’s former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and even U.S. President Joe Biden, the political climate has proven unforgiving for incumbents. Yet Trudeau, unlike Biden who has been more overtly challenged, has so far been spared from a direct confrontation by his colleagues.
The dissatisfaction brewing within the Liberal caucus stems from a variety of political missteps and perceived failures in leadership. Many MPs are becoming increasingly frustrated with both Trudeau and his chief of staff, Katie Telford, accusing them of lacking a coherent political strategy to address Canada’s mounting economic challenges. The tipping point for many MPs came when a plan was formed to issue a signed statement calling for Trudeau’s resignation. The intention behind this letter was to signal the urgent need for change without turning it into a media spectacle.
While not all 153 members of the Liberal caucus have seen the statement, few are shocked by its existence. “People are looking at the forthcoming election as a change election,” said Liberal MP Ken Hardie, emphasizing the growing anticipation for change both inside and outside the party. “The big question is, what kind of change will the Liberals offer? You could change the leader or you can change what the leader leads.”
Hardie, like many of his colleagues, has kept his cards close to his chest regarding which option he favors. On the surface, the party remains loyal to Trudeau, but internal fractures have deepened as MPs struggle to reconcile with the party’s sliding popularity and a rising Conservative opposition led by Pierre Poilievre.
Canada’s political landscape has shifted dramatically since Trudeau first swept into office in 2015 with promises of “sunny ways” and progressive reforms. While Trudeau initially enjoyed widespread popularity, his fortunes have soured in recent years. Despite economic growth and a low inflation rate compared to other G7 nations, many Canadians feel the pinch of high costs, especially in housing and groceries. For those feeling left behind, the Trudeau government’s economic victories seem out of touch with their day-to-day struggles.
Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party, has capitalized on these sentiments. His populist approach, marked by simple slogans and promises of reform, has resonated with a growing portion of the electorate. Trudeau’s approval ratings have taken a hit as the public looks for alternative leadership amid Canada’s economic and social challenges.
Internally, the Liberal Party is grappling with what has become known as “the Trudeau problem.” Since Trudeau took over the party’s leadership and led it from a third-place opposition party to a majority government, the party’s identity has become intrinsically linked to his brand. As one Liberal MP put it, “the Liberal Party has become the Trudeau Party,” making it difficult for the party to envision its future without him.
One of the central issues complicating the potential for Trudeau’s ousting is the absence of an obvious successor. While there are several high-profile names being floated within the party, none have emerged as the definitive choice to replace Trudeau. Among the contenders are Freeland, Joly, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, and Treasury Board President Anita Anand. However, none of them enjoy the same level of public recognition or political clout that Trudeau brought to the table when he ascended to the leadership a decade ago.
As Liberal MP Chandra Arya noted in a recent caucus email, the party lacks a “quasi-designated successor” like U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is widely seen as Biden’s heir apparent. Arya warned that a fierce battle for leadership could fracture the party’s already fragile unity, with vastly different ideas and personalities colliding during what would likely be a heated contest. “The results will be disastrous,” he cautioned, suggesting that the party might lose more than just an election—it could lose its identity.
The Liberal Party has long prided itself on its loyalty to leadership, with a political culture that emphasizes party discipline. This loyalty has largely kept public calls for Trudeau’s resignation to a minimum. Only three MPs have publicly urged Trudeau to step down, and they’ve been careful about when and where they air their grievances.
Most of the dissatisfaction has come from Atlantic Canada, a region where Trudeau’s carbon levy has proven deeply unpopular. Atlantic MPs have also pointed to increased immigration, which they argue is putting additional strain on local social services and health care. Yet, despite these gripes, even the most frustrated MPs have not gone as far as to leave the party or vote against government legislation. Their focus, for now, is on pressuring Trudeau behind the scenes rather than staging a public revolt.
The spark for this unrest can be traced back to a series of disappointing election results. Earlier this year, the Liberals lost two key by-elections—one in a long-held stronghold in Montreal, and another in Toronto. The defeats shook the party, especially when Trudeau seemed unfazed by the losses. His insistence that the Liberal political machine was still in good shape left many MPs baffled. “You could literally see everyone’s jaw drop,” said one lawmaker involved in drafting the resignation letter.
As frustration mounts, MPs have started to strategize about how to proceed if Trudeau refuses to step down. Some MPs favored a softer approach, but the prevailing sentiment has been to directly request Trudeau’s resignation. While they have a backup plan in place if this initial request fails, they have been tight-lipped about what that entails.
Amid this rising internal tension, Trudeau has maintained that his government’s attention should be on pressing international issues, not on party intrigue. Just this week, Canada made headlines by expelling India’s high commissioner and five envoys following revelations that India’s government may be linked to a series of violent incidents on Canadian soil. Trudeau, when asked about the growing unrest in his party, brushed aside the issue, saying that now was not the time to focus on internal politics.
“There will be a time to talk about internal party intrigue at another moment,” Trudeau told reporters. “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 important moment.”
Trudeau seems determined to stay the course, despite growing pressure from within his own ranks. While the Liberal Party lacks a formal mechanism to oust him, the hope among many MPs is that he will take the hint and step down before the situation escalates. If he doesn’t, the party risks entering the next election divided, with no clear path forward.
As Trudeau continues to navigate both internal discontent and external political challenges, the future of his leadership—and the future of the Liberal Party—hangs in the balance. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether Trudeau can regain the trust of his caucus or whether the quiet rebellion will grow louder, potentially leading to a dramatic leadership change at the heart of Canadian politics.