Trudeau reassures he is hearing all voices within caucus following byelection upset, no meeting scheduled at this time

July 3, 2024 TruthUSA

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has confirmed that he is not considering stepping down and is instead listening to his caucus. However, he did not disclose whether he plans to call an in-person meeting.

During an announcement in his Montreal riding of Papineau on July 3, Mr. Trudeau stated in French, “I’m in the process of listening to the whole caucus, and not just from [members] who speak to media.”

This press conference marked the first time Mr. Trudeau took questions since the June 24 byelection loss in a Toronto riding.

When questioned about the possibility of holding a national caucus meeting before an end-of-summer retreat, Mr. Trudeau did not provide a definite answer but acknowledged the importance of addressing the defeat his party faced in the Liberal stronghold.

“We’ve been engaged in lots of important conversations,” he said. “I’ve had lots of calls with different members of caucus from across the country—not just in the GTA—to talk about how we make sure we’re continuing our work, connecting with Canadians to make sure we’re continuing to deliver for people.”

The Liberals had held the Toronto-St. Paul’s riding for more than three decades before losing to the Tories by 590 votes, causing concern among Liberal members.

Liberal MP Wayne Long, who is not running for re-election, wrote to his colleagues advocating for new leadership, although his stance received minimal support. Some former cabinet ministers also expressed the need for a change in leadership.

Despite this, the majority of Mr. Trudeau’s caucus has publicly supported him.

When asked about his future by CBC News on July 1, Mr. Trudeau stated, “there’s always going to be lots of reflection after a tough loss. But there’s also so much to do and I am committed to doing the work of building a better Canada every single day.”

While Liberal ministers have not publicly analyzed the reasons behind the loss in St. Paul’s, some have speculated on the outcome.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller commented on June 26, “I think a lot of us need to take a step back, screw our heads on a little better, stop the navel-gazing, and get back on the horse to fight for Canadians.”

Government House Leader Karina Gould, who is on parental leave, suggested that Liberal Party candidate Leslie Church did not have sufficient time to connect with voters. Ms. Church, a former chief of staff to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, had been nominated on May 1.

Despite receiving support from several senior cabinet ministers during the campaign, Ms. Church was unable to prevent Tory candidate Don Stewart from winning the riding.

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