Trudeau's MPs now call for secret ballot vote against him
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under immense pressure from within his own Liberal Party. Several party MPs have demanded a secret ballot vote to decide his fate as leader after he refused to resign by the October 28 deadline imposed by some party members. Long-time Liberal MP Helena Jaczek backed a secret ballot, saying, "I think it's time that we clear the air."
Secret ballot vote proposed for October 30
Liberal MP Yvan Baker stressed the importance of a secret ballot to enable MPs to vote "without fear of repercussions or consequences." The proposed vote is set to take place on October 30 during a caucus meeting at Parliament Hill. MP Sameer Zuberi and Wayne Long also back the demand for a secret ballot, thinking it would bring finality to the leadership question.
Trudeau's leadership faces unprecedented challenge
This is unprecedented in Canadian politics as there is no tradition of PMs voluntarily stepping down. The Liberal caucus doesn't have provisions to stage such a vote as they didn't adopt the 2015 Reform Act's guidelines for leadership reviews. According to the Act, if 20% of caucus members sign a petition calling for a leadership review, a vote will be held. If a majority of MPs vote against the leader, they must step down.
Trudeau's popularity declines amid leadership crisis
Trudeau's popularity has been on the decline, with polls indicating that the Liberals are trailing nearly 20 points behind the opposition Conservatives. An Abacus Data poll recently revealed that about 60% of Canadians view Trudeau negatively. Political analyst Eric Grenier noted that this trend is due to long-term dissatisfaction and not any one scandal. "It's not the result of one scandal or big issue, but rather the drip, drip, drip of being in power for nearly 10 years."
Opposition parties plan to topple Trudeau's minority government
Along with internal hurdles, Trudeau also has to deal with opposition from Bloc Quebecois chief Yves-Francois Blanchet. Blanchet had announced plans to work with other opposition parties to topple Trudeau's minority government. He had said, "We are negotiating with opposition parties in order to have the government fall." Despite the hurdles, Trudeau is determined to lead his party into the next election before October 2025.
