One of the Liberal MPs calling for a secret ballot vote on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership says efforts by cabinet to put the issue to rest may only be increasing tensions in caucus.
In the wake of last week’s Liberal caucus meeting, Trudeau has said repeatedly he’s not going anywhere — even after 24 of his own MPs signed a document calling on him to resign.
Several cabinet ministers have been vocal in their support of the prime minister and have insisted that a majority of MPs are still behind him.
The Liberal caucus was briefed by the party’s new campaign director Andrew Brevan in its first meeting since some MPs attempted to oust Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
But Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi told CBC News Network’s Power & Politics cabinet’s efforts to move on may be making things worse.
“That can’t be the answer to everything,” Ehsassi told host David Cochrane.
“For people to come out and say, ‘The overwhelming majority of people have confidence,’ well that’s great. I’m really happy to hear that. Put it to the test.”
Ehsassi is joining a number of other Liberal MPs who are calling for caucus to hold a secret ballot vote on Trudeau’s leadership. He argued that such a vote might be the only way for the party to move on.
“[If] this is an issue ministers feel strongly about and they say the prime minister does have the overwhelming support of caucus, then let’s put this to the test and let’s put this behind us,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland repeated the claim that most Liberal MPs support Trudeau.
“I am absolutely confident — and more confident, after conversations in Ottawa over the past 36 hours, than ever — that the vast majority of Liberal MPs support the prime minister,” she said.
When asked about the possibility of caucus having a secret ballot vote on Trudeau’s leadership, Freeland rejected the idea, saying it’s “just not how Liberals govern themselves.”
The Liberals don’t have a formal mechanism to trigger a leadership vote or review in the party’s constitution.
But MP Alexandra Mendès, who joined Ehsassi on Power & Politics, said she has heard from several constituents who are concerned about Trudeau’s leadership. She said a secret ballot vote — even one that affirms Trudeau’s leadership — would give her something to bring back to voters.
“If we don’t put this to bed in a very definite way, this will continue. We will not have answered our constituents,” Mendès told Cochrane.
“I have to go back to my constituents and tell them, ‘Hey, I conveyed your message … The answer is this one, because we do believe the best person to lead us through the next election is the prime minister.'”
Both Ehsassi and Mendès said they couldn’t guess how a secret ballot vote would go. Ehsassi suggested there are more disgruntled MPs in caucus than the 24 who signed the document calling for Trudeau to step aside.
“What I have been hearing is that what we listened to last week was the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
Both Ehsassi and Mendès declined to say if they were among the 24 MPs who signed the document.
