'Time for Trudeau to go': Canada PM faces growing revolt within own party

The first public call for Justin Trudeau's resignation as Liberal Party leader came on Wednesday, even as a growing number of Liberals are reportedly working to force the prime minister to step down

A Member of Parliament (MP) from his Liberal Party on Wednesday publicly called on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as party leader, becoming the first party MP to do so, even as other MPs are said to be co-ordinating their efforts to force Trudeau out.

Sean Casey, the MP for Charlottetown, told Canada's CBC News that Trudeau's leadership has become one of the main topics in conversations with voters in the riding of Charlottetown. In Canada, a riding refers to an electoral district or constituency, represented by an MP in the House of Commons.

Speaking to CBC News, Casey said, "The message that I've been getting loud and clear, and more and more strongly as time goes by, is that it is time for (Trudeau) to go." He added, "And I agree."

Casey went on to say, "People have had enough. They've tuned him out and they want him to go."

The development comes after India's diplomatic ties with Canada hit a fresh low on Monday following New Delhi's decision to withdraw its High Commissioner, Sanjay Kumar Verma, along with other diplomats and officials, from the country and expel six Canadian diplomats, including Acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler.

The escalation came after Ottawa conveyed to New Delhi its intention to question Indian diplomats and officials as part of its investigation into the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India's response was unusually strong, saying that Trudeau's government had been targeting its representatives for "vote bank politics".

Casey is reportedly the first MP from Trudeau's party to publicly call for the Canadian Prime Minister to resign, since Canadian media reported last week that a growing number of anxious Liberals are working together to force Trudeau to step down as Liberal Party leader.

Citing multiple unnamed sources, CBC News reported that following the surprising Toronto-St Paul's byelection loss in June, disgruntled Liberal MPs have held a series of meetings to discuss the party's path forward.

Casey added that efforts to oust Trudeau could reach a turning point when MPs return to Ottawa next week.

A Liberal revolt against Trudeau is underway

Citing unnamed sources again, CBC News has reported that a number of Liberal MPs are being asked to sign on to a pledge to stand together in calling for Trudeau's resignation.

These sources reportedly added that while at least 20 MPs have signed the pledge so far, others have voiced their support for Trudeau's ouster.

Reports of a brewing revolt first emerged last week, with the Toronto Star reporting that a movement was underway to get rebel Liberal MPs to commit in writing to seek a new party leader. Other Canadian news organisations have also confirmed the existence of such a document.

With Liberal MPs numbering more than 150, those seeking a leadership change reportedly need at least 50 signatures in their favour to force some action.

However, while Casey is the first to go public, he isn't the first Liberal MP to call, behind closed doors, for Trudeau to step down in recent months. According to CBC News, New Brunswick MP Wayne Long called on the prime minister to step aside in an email to the Liberal caucus in June, while Newfoundland and Labrador MP Ken McDonald has called for Trudeau to face a leadership review.

With the Canadian general election set to take place before the end of October 2025, opinion polls suggest that Trudeau's Liberals are likely to lose to the Conservatives, the official Opposition in Canada's Parliament, ending nearly a decade of Liberal governments in the country.

For example, according to the CBC's Poll Tracker, the Liberals are trailing the Conservatives by about 20 percentage points.

In September, Ipsos said that just one-third (33 per cent) of Canadians approved of Trudeau's leadership as Prime Minister, marking a new low, while around two-thirds (67 per cent) disapproved of his performance. Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, retained his position as the top pick for Prime Minister, with 45 per cent of Canadians thinking he'd be the best person for the job, while Trudeau lagged by 19 points at 26 per cent.

Trudeau is 'strongly disliked'

According to Canada's Global News, many Liberal MPs fear that they will lose their jobs because of Trudeau's unpopularity.

Some of them are reported to view François-Philippe Champagne, Trudeau's minister for innovation, science and industry, as a better alternative, and believe that he would immediately improve the party's fortunes if he were leader.

Last week, the head of the Liberal Party's Atlantic Caucus reportedly revealed that Atlantic MPs had held "a difficult but frank discussion" about the party's future.

Citing party MPs, Global News also reported that Trudeau was on the verge of losing support from the Ontario and Quebec caucuses.

The Liberal Party's regional caucuses -- such as the Atlantic, Ontario, and Quebec caucuses -- consist of MPs from those specific regions, and they discuss and address regional concerns within the party's broader national agenda.

"He's not just unpopular. He is strongly disliked," one Liberal MP told Global News, referring to Trudeau.