Liberal caucus in revolt against Trudeau as MPs circulating petition for him to resign: report

Rumors of a backroom caucus revolt against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gained traction last week as numerous media outlets reported the existence of a letter demanding that Trudeau step down as Liberal leader and Canadian prime minister. “Multiple sources” have told CBC News that MPs are being enlisted in backroom talks.

Discontent has been building since the Liberals’ byelection loss this summer to Conservatives in the once-safe seat of Toronto-St.Paul. Anger accelerated when Trudeau lost two more byelections in Winnipeg and Montreal, including a Montreal riding once occupied by former Justice Minister David Lametti. Last week Trudeau was out of the country for the entire week, excusing his absence on a summit meeting in Laos.

Trudeau has said virtually nothing about the “Green Slush Fund” scandal that saw hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars given to friends of the Liberal Party under the auspices of the Sustainable Development Technology Canada fund. House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus shut down government business and agreed with the Official Opposition Conservatives as well as the New Democratic Party and Bloc Quebecois that unredacted copies of the agency’s documents should be forwarded to the RCMP for investigation and potential prosecution.

The revolt is focused on a letter, or petition, that MPs are being asked to sign to secure their support for any future leadership review, even though the constitution of the Liberal Party does not make the leader’s tenure contingent upon the support of a majority of caucus MPs.

Multiple sources told CBC News that the petition is being rigorously controlled by only having one copy that MPs are asked not to photocopy or photograph. The dissident MPs are speaking on the condition of anonymity, CBC noted

Toronto Star reporter Althia Raj has also reported that the Liberal caucus is growing increasingly divided over Trudeau’s continued leadership while the Globe and Mail has confirmed a caucus revolt is brewing.

At least 20 MPs had signed the petition by Friday with one signer telling CBC that the list of dissidents has spilled over to a second page. That MP also said they intend to keep the document under wraps until they have what they believe will be a sufficient number of voices opposed to Trudeau’s continued leadership to go public with the names.

The House isn’t sitting this week because of a planned Thanksgiving break. That will provide more opportunity to rebel LIberal MPs to have clandestine meetings and for more of them to see and sign the petition. Trudeau has not commented on the document but before departing for the Francophonie Summit in Paris earlier this month, he claimed, “We’re going to continue to be investing in fighting climate change and creating good jobs. That’s my focus. I’ll let other people talk about politics.”