Trudeau says Liberals ‘strong and united’ after caucus challenge
In the face of a leadership challenge, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that the Liberal Party is “strong and united” despite frustrations within the caucus amid an internal revolt.
Trudeau did not take any questions from reporters after a caucus meeting, where party members were expected to raise a call for him to step down as the party leader.
Up to 30 Liberal MPs have signed an internal document calling on Trudeau to step aside, sources have told Global News.
Several MPs came out of the meeting Wednesday afternoon, saying the party was united, but they were tight-lipped about what exactly happened behind the closed doors.
“We have shared all sorts of views, including the prime minister, and think that we need to do even better,” said Public Services and Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.
Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said there are some “valid frustrations” within the party, but they had a “constructive conversation.”
“I think it’s really important when you have so many colleagues that are expressing frustration; I’ve expressed frustration over the years at different times, it’s very important that that feedback is listened to, it’s very important that ultimately, there are some changes to respond to that, it’s very important that the trust is re-earned of those caucus colleagues,” he told reporters after the meeting.
François-Philippe Champagne, the minister of innovation, science and industry, said “what happens in caucus is like a family.”
“You need to listen to each other. You need to make sure you welcome the views of people. But at the end, it’s like a dinner table, at the end of the dinner, we all need to come out in relentless focus on serving Canadians and winning the next election.”
The MPs have
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