Anonymous calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign are gaining traction within the Liberal Party, according to Vassy Kapelos from CTV.
Kapelos said during her program Tuesday night that four Liberal MPs, speaking on the condition of anonymity, expressed their desire for Trudeau to step down.
The shift comes in the wake of a devastating byelection loss in Toronto-St. Paul’s, a riding the Liberals have dominated for over three decades.
Some called this byelection a referendum on Trudeau, and suggested that even a close win for the Liberals would require him to step down.
Click here to sign the petition calling for Trudeau to step down
Publicly, Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull deflected the question of Trudeau’s potential resignation, stating that he supports his leader, but added that “he’ll have to reevaluate and look at the results of last night’s byelection and do some reflecting, but that’s up to him.”
Meanwhile, a few key Liberal figures have publicly backed Trudeau. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister Karina Gould, the Liberal’s House leader, have both voiced their support for the nine-year PM, explicitly indicating they do not believe he should step down.
Trudeau himself has remained tight-lipped on the issue, refusing to take questions about his leadership on Tuesday following an unrelated announcement.
The Prime Minister made a quick reference to the devastating loss during his announcement, congratulating the now Conservative MP, Don Stewart, who narrowly beat out the Liberal’s candidate — and former Liberal staffer — Leslie Church.
