Some lawmakers within Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party have called for his resignation and urged him not to seek a fourth term, handing him one of the biggest setbacks of his political career.
According to Canada's CBC News, Liberal MPs convened for a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, where they conveyed their grievances to Trudeau, reflecting growing discontent within the party.
Trudeau is facing mounting pressure from within his own party, with dissident Liberal MPs giving him an ultimatum to decide his future by October 28. During the caucus meeting on Wednesday, a document was presented outlining the case for Trudeau's resignation, but it didn't specify any consequences if he fails to meet the deadline.
Three Liberals said they were among a total of 20 plus lawmakers from the party to have signed a letter asking Trudeau to step down before the next election. There are 153 Liberals in Canada's House of Commons.
During the meeting, British Columbia MP Patrick Weiler presented a document that argued in favour of Trudeau's resignation. The document suggested that the Liberal Party could experience a resurgence similar to what the Democrats saw after US President Joe Biden opted not to run for re-election for the upcoming presidential elections in the country.
MPs were given two minutes each to address the room during the three-hour-long meeting. About 20—none of them cabinet ministers—stood up to urge Trudeau to step aside before the next election, but a number of MPs also stood to voice support for the prime minister, CBC News reported.
A smiling Trudeau said Liberals are "strong and united" after meeting with Liberal members of Parliament for three hours.
"He has to start listening, listening to the people," said Ken McDonald, a Liberal Member of Parliament from Newfoundland who said he signed the letter, which has not been made public.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller has acknowledged the frustrations of some Liberal MPs and expressed respect for those who voiced their concerns directly to Trudeau.
"Fundamentally, this is something that has been simmering for some time, and it's important for people to get it out. This isn't a code-red situation. The prime minister can sure as hell handle the truth," CBC News reported.
Trudeau, who previously said he plans to run again, didn't take questions from reporters after the meeting. No Canadian prime minister has won four straight terms in over 100 years.
His Cabinet ministers have supported him publicly.
"There is what would you call some palace drama going on right now. And that takes us away from the number one job, which is focusing on Canadians," said Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, a Liberal Party member.
Not all Liberal members of Parliament came out in support of Trudeau.
"It's the decision of the leader of the party as to whether he stays on as leader," said Ontario Liberal lawmaker Yvan Baker.
The latest political rift in Canada also comes in the backdrop of rising diplomatic tensions between India and Canada.
Ties between India and Canada soured after Trudeau alleged in the Canadian Parliament last year that he has "credible allegations" of India's hand in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot and killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year.
India has denied all the allegations, calling them "absurd" and "motivated." It has also accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements in their country.
The recent diplomatic row erupted when Canada labelled India's High Commissioner and other diplomats as "persons of interest" in the investigation of Nijjar's death.
Notably, Trudeau's Liberals recently suffered upsets in special elections in two districts in Toronto and Montreal that the party has held for years, raising doubts about Trudeau's leadership.
The federal election could come at any time between this fall and October 2025. The Liberals must rely on the support of at least one major party in Parliament, as they don't have the majority of seats.
The opposition leader of the Bloc Québécois has said his party will work with the Conservatives and the New Democratic Party (NDP) to bring the Liberals down and force an election if the government doesn't boost pensions for seniors.
Trudeau channelled the star power of his father in 2015 when he reasserted the country's liberal identity in 2015 after almost 10 years of Conservative rule. But the son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau is now in trouble. Canadians have been frustrated by the cost of living coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Liberals trail the opposition Conservatives 38% to 25% in the latest Nanos poll. The poll of 1,037 respondents has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
"The situation of the Liberals in the opinion polls is likely to remain catastrophic. Unless something dramatic and unforeseen occurs, the electoral prospects of the Liberals with Justin Trudeau at the helm look bleak," said Daniel Béland, a politics professor at McGill University in Montreal.
Trudeau's legacy includes opening the doors wide to immigration. He also legalised cannabis and brought in a carbon tax intended to fight climate change. "He saved the Liberals back in 2015, but, over time, he's become a huge liability for them," Béland said.