Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau responded to the party’s -pressure for a palace- and said he would remain in office

On October 24, in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the media, confirming his intention to continue leading the Liberal Party into the next federal election. His statement indirectly acknowledged recent reports from major Canadian media about increasing pressure within the party for him to step down.

The previous day, multiple sources reported that the Liberal Party held a closed-door caucus meeting in Ottawa, where a letter signed by over twenty Members of Parliament was read aloud. The letter urged Trudeau to resign as party leader to help regain public support, which has waned in favor of the Conservative Party. Reportedly, the signatories requested that Trudeau announce his decision by October 28.

As the meeting wrapped up, Trudeau offered a brief response to waiting reporters, stating that the Liberal Party is “strong and united.”

At a press conference on October 24, when asked if he would continue to serve as Prime Minister after October 28, he simply said, “Yes.” Trudeau mentioned that the party would engage in deeper discussions about how best to challenge Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in the upcoming election, but emphasized that these conversations would occur under his leadership.

Since taking office in the fall of 2015, Trudeau has led the federal Liberal Party for nine years. However, the party’s public support has lagged behind the Conservatives for over a year. While the next federal election is normally scheduled for fall 2024, the opposition has been increasingly vocal about a potential no-confidence motion, raising the likelihood of an early election.

In recent by-elections held in June and September, the Liberals lost two long-held seats in Toronto and Montreal, which many analysts see as a warning sign for the party. Conversely, just three days prior, the New Brunswick provincial Liberal Party defeated the Progressive Conservatives to secure a majority in the provincial legislature. Although the provincial party is independent of the federal Liberal Party, some federal MPs see this victory as evidence that there is still a public support base for Liberal policies.

Currently, the Liberal Party holds 153 out of 336 seats in the House of Commons. Only a handful of Liberal MPs have publicly expressed a desire for Trudeau to step aside. Additionally, Canadian media have highlighted the party’s lack of mechanisms for ousting its leader, suggesting that whether Trudeau remains in his role largely hinges on his own choice.