A backbench MP has become the first sitting member of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party caucus to call for his resignation following a disastrous by-election defeat. Wayne Long, representing a riding in New Brunswick, said new leadership was needed “for the future of our party and the good of our country.” In an email to fellow party members obtained by Canadian media outlets, Long said, “The voters have spoken loud and clear and they want a change.”
The development came days after the official opposition Conservatives won the race in the Toronto-St Paul’s constituency for the first time since 1988. The election was called after the previous legislator quit. The victory marked the first time since 2015 that the Conservatives had broken the Liberals’ control of vote-rich Toronto, which is home to dozens of seats and key to Trudeau’s hold on power.
Trudeau earlier this week, made clear that he would stay in office amid fresh questions about his future after the ruling Liberal Party lost a safe seat in a special election. The Canadian Prime Minister, whose Liberals are trailing badly in the polls, said earlier in March that he thought about quitting his “crazy job” every day but insisted he would stay in office until the next election. That vote must be held by October 2025, and recent public opinion surveys show the right-of-center Conservatives would crush the Liberals. Pollsters say voters are tired of Trudeau, who first took office in November 2015.
