By David Ljunggren
OTTAWA (Reuters) – A close ally of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday he was considering complaints about his leadership from lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Party unhappy with the resignation of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Another Liberal MP said separately that Trudeau was “delusional” if he thought he could run in the next election, scheduled for October 20 next year. Opinion polls show that the Liberals will be crushed by the Conservatives, the official opposition.
Freeland resigned on Monday amid political infighting and issued a letter attacking Trudeau's leadership, triggering one of the worst crises since he took office in 2015.
Trudeau later held a private meeting with his parliamentary bloc, which was already dissatisfied with the party's poor performance in the polls.
“He told the party that he listened very clearly, and listened carefully, to their concerns and he would consider them,” new Finance Minister Dominique LeBlanc told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
LeBlanc, one of Trudeau's closest friends, was appointed finance minister later on Monday.
LeBlanc also temporarily retains his previous position as Minister of Public Safety, and a number of other ministers are holding more than one position as a result of the resignation of their colleagues. CBC said Trudeau will reshuffle his cabinet soon, possibly on Wednesday.
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told Reuters: “A number of my party colleagues have said publicly that the prime minister is considering Minister Freeland's decision and the comments he heard yesterday. I respect that he is taking the time to reflect.”
Trudeau alluded to Tuesday night's unrest, saying at a Liberal Party event marking the end of the parliamentary session that the last two days had not been easy.
“We are a really big family,” he said to cheers from the audience. “Now like most families, we sometimes get into fights on holidays, but of course, like most families, we find our way through it.”
The Globe and Mail, citing two Liberal sources, said Trudeau told Freeland on Friday that she would be replaced by former central bank governor Mark Carney, who already advises the prime minister on economic matters.
Carney, long courted by liberals, has stayed out of federal politics. No one at the offices of Freeland or Trudeau was immediately available for comment.
If Trudeau resigns, it would launch a Liberal leadership race that Freeland could join.
She emailed party volunteers on Tuesday saying “this will not be the end of the road” but did not provide details. The email was published on X by journalist Stephen Maher.
Liberals lose special election
Underscoring the problems the party faces, it lost a special election in western British Columbia.
While Trudeau cannot be forced to resign by his caucus, he may find it difficult to stay if enough parliamentarians publicly call for him to go. Only a few have done so publicly, but that number is growing.
Veteran Liberal lawmaker John MacKay, who has remained loyal to Trudeau, told CBC that the prime minister needs to make a decision about his future sooner rather than later.
Trudeau is safe for now, because the only way he can be ousted is if all opposition parties unite against him in a vote of no confidence. Such a vote can only happen after the elected House of Commons returns on January 27.
Liberal lawmaker Wayne Long, who has previously called for Trudeau to resign, told reporters that the prime minister “is delusional if he thinks we can continue like this… Not only are we not getting water, we are under water.”
The opposition Bloc Quebecois has demanded immediate elections, saying Canada needs a properly functioning government to deal with the incoming US administration and its threats to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian imports.
A Nanus Research poll released Tuesday showed the Conservatives with 43% public support, the Liberals at 23%, and the smaller, left-leaning New Democrats attracting 20% support. Such a result on Election Day would produce a massive conservative majority.
