Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet came to his defence Tuesday, rejecting a growing number of public calls from his own MPs that the Liberal caucus hold a secret ballot vote on his future.
Since Mr. Trudeau on Thursday rejected a private demand from 24 of his MPs that he make way for new leadership of the Liberal party, dissenters have pushed for more ways to express their displeasure at his continued tenure.
But the effort was roundly rejected by Liberal ministers who tried to close the door on the dissent on their way into their weekly cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill.
“The Prime Minister has been very clear. We’re moving on,” said Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault who flatly rejected demands from fellow Liberal MPs that they be allowed to cast a secret ballot on the Prime Minister’s future.
“If you want to express yourself in the Liberal caucus, you stand up and talk. But the Prime Minister has been very clear: he’s the Leader. He’s going to take us into the next election.”
His sentiment was echoed by Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.
“We had a good conversation at caucus and I think we’re ready to move on,” said Mr. Wilkinson. “I think it pretty much is settled.”
Liberal campaign co-chair and Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada argued that a secret ballot vote would go against the party’s current rules and constitution, which leaves the choice of leader up to registered Liberal supporters.
“One thing that unites us all is we want to beat Poilievre and we have to remain focused on organizing and planning a campaign to do that,” she said.
Asked if she was worried Mr. Trudeau would lose a secret ballot vote of his MPs, she said “no.”
“Maybe there’s a couple of you that are questioning the leadership but that’s not what caucus wants,” she said.
This week Liberal MPs Yvan Baker, Sameer Zuberi, Wayne Long and Helena Jaczek all said that they want a secret vote on Mr. Trudeau’s future.
Their demand came after the Prime Minister last week rejected private calls from Liberal MPs that he resign.
At his party’s Oct. 23 caucus meeting, 24 Liberal MPs signed a letter asking Mr. Trudeau to leave his post. The document was read to Liberals behind closed doors by B.C. MP Patrick Weiler. The Globe reported that the document expressed concern about the party’s direction under Mr. Trudeau’s continued tenure. However the names of the MPs behind the letter was never released – even internally.
In addition to the letter, dozens of MPs spoke during the meeting both for and against Mr. Trudeau’s continued leadership.
“Given the fact that there are quite a number of MPs, quite a number of Liberals and Canadians, who feel that someone else should lead the Liberal Party into the next election, I think the way to move forward for the sake of party unity is to hold a secret ballot vote,” Mr. Baker told reporters on Parliament Hill on Monday.
“I think a secret ballot vote is something that could unify caucus, unify the party, but also a secret ballot allows members of Parliament to vote without fear of repercussions or consequences.”
Mr. Zuberi said a secret ballot would put questions about the party’s leadership “to rest.”
“We need to have finality to this, and that would help us as a party to move beyond this.”
Liberal MPs don’t have an automatic way to force a vote, as Conservative MPs did when they chose to vote out former leader Erin O’Toole in 2022 under the provisions of a law known as the Reform Act. Parliamentary caucuses must vote at their first meeting after a general election on whether to adopt the legislation, and the Liberals did not do so after the 2021 campaign.
More to come.