As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues his walk on thin ice, becoming a source of disappointment both at home and abroad, many leaders within his party and several members in the parliament are now planning to go beyond just the public expressions of dissatisfaction with his leadership and will officially demand his resignation in the coming days.
A national leader leaving because of a loss of his party's confidence is rare in Canada. As The Globe and Mail, the country's top daily, said yesterday in reporting that at least 20 MPs have agreed to put their names on a demand to oust Trudeau -- a move that it said was "quickly snowballing into a serious effort" to force him out, considered differently elsewhere. The caucus members are expected to present, within days, an official demand for Trudeau to step down from party leadership.
"Three Liberal MPs have told The Globe and Mail they expect the push to be given in two stages: first, in writing over this weekend, detailing the fact that citizens are coming to MPs telling them that Mr. Trudeau must go; second, with an open microphone session at the party's next caucus meeting in Ottawa, on Wednesday," it detailed.
It has not been long since Liberal MP Sean Casey, Charlottetown's longtime representative, publicly expressed his opinion that Trudeau should step down as the party head.
"People have had enough. They've tuned him out and they want him to go," Casey told CBC News Network in an interview.
"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. And I agree," he added.
Casey, speaking to *Power & Politics'* show host David Cochrane, stated that there is a "high level of anxiety" in the Liberal caucus over Trudeau's leadership.
"I would say it's wider than meets the eye. There are a lot of people who have concerns," he said.
Trudeau, who testified at the public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes and democratic institutions, drew further criticism by claiming that he has the names of Conservative parliamentarians who are involved in foreign interference.
In response to this, Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre running to be prime minister of Canada gave a stinging reply to challenge Trudeau to name all MPs who have collaborated with foreign interference.
"Justin Trudeau is doing what he always does: He is lying. He is lying to distract from a Liberal caucus revolt against his leadership and revelations he knowingly allowed Beijing to interfere and help him win two elections," Poilievre said in a scathing statement after the Canadian PM's testimony.
If Justin Trudeau has evidence to the contrary, he should share it with the public. Now that he has blurted it out in general terms at a commission of inquiry, he should release the facts. But he won't — because he is making it up, said Sarah DAoust of the Conservative party.
In earlier this year, a Liberal MP Ken McDonald had expressed his anguish over his being asked if Trudeau was the right leader to lead the Liberal Party.
Interestingly, on Wednesday, Trudeau testified that Ottawa had only some intelligence inputs and no "hard proofs" before he first accused India of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, last year.
India has said this candidly many times: Trudeau has been working on a "deliberate strategy" – smearing India for political gains.
What we have heard today only reinforces what we have been saying steadfastly all along: Canada has adduced no evidence whatever in support of the serious allegations that it has chosen to level against India and Indian diplomats. Responsibility for the damage that this cavalier behaviour has caused to relations between India and Canada lies alone with Prime Minister Trudeau, according to Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs yesterday.
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