Tuesday’s speech was the first time Trudeau has said anything publicly about Freeland’s resignation
“Like most families, sometimes we have fights around the holidays,” Trudeau told a gathering for his Liberal Party’s 153 elected members and their staff in Ottawa on Tuesday. “But of course, like most families, we find our way through it. You know, I love this country, I deeply love this party, I love you guys, and love is what families are all about.”
“In politics, there are always tough days and big challenges,” Trudeau said in the speech that was largely focused on celebrating party staffers. But he said the Liberals don’t “shy away from these moments. We put in the work, whether it’s easy or hard.”
Freeland is by far the most senior Liberal to criticize Trudeau’s leadership, and her departure may prove a fatal blow. Since the party lost special elections in once-safe Toronto and Montreal seats earlier this year, and another in a British Columbia district on Monday, a drumbeat of caucus dissent has gotten louder.
A national election is due by October 2025, though it can also happen sooner.
The number calling for his resignation has grown to about 45 members, according to Wayne Long, a Liberal lawmaker from New Brunswick.
Full text: Read Chrystia Freeland’s resignation letter sent to Justin Trudeau
“He’s delusional if he thinks he can continue on this trajectory. The country wants him to step down,” Long said in an interview. “He needs to do the right thing for the party and for the country. He needs to step aside. He needs to allow this party to heal, to rebuild and present viable alternatives.”
There are “great people” within the Liberal caucus who could be wonderful party leaders, such as Freeland, LeBlanc or Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly, Long said. There may be a private-sector candidate, he added, including Carney, who serves in a number of philanthropic and business roles including as Bloomberg Inc. chair.
“We can do this if we have the will to do it and the courage to do it,” Long said. “We stay static at our own peril and we all know it.”
Canada’s parliament is now on a break until late January, and Long and several other caucus members chose to return to their ridings rather than attend the holiday party. Inside the large hall lit up in Liberal red, the festive mood marked a stark contrast from the grim discussions about the government’s future that have been unfolding over the past two days in Ottawa.
Trudeau walked on stage to loud cheers and a 30-second standing ovation from the crowded room. At one point before he appeared, the Michael Buble song “Home” punctuated classic Christmas tunes. The lyrics included: “Let me go home, I’ve had my run. Baby, I’m done. I gotta go home.”
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here.