Liberal MP George Chahal has condemned the “small cabal” within the Liberal party that has “decided to pursue a reckless strategy of mutual assured political destruction.”
Chahal, of Calgary Skyview, has joined a growing list of members of the Liberal caucus calling for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as party leader.
Chahal over the weekend wrote a letter to the prime minister calling for his resignation, as did the entire Atlantic Liberal caucus.
Even Trudeau’s longtime pal and former principal secretary Gerald Butts, who supported him during the SNC-Lavalin scandal and the dismissal of former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould, has doubts about the prime minister’s leadership since the resignation of former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who abruptly resigned on December 16.
Chahal in his letter said while he and other caucus members have “made every effort to find an elegant way forward,” they have lost confidence in the Liberal leader.
He cited the more than two dozen Liberal MPs that called for Trudeau’s resignation two months ago, and the several more who have since joined in, and the evidence from the last several byelections where the Liberals have suffered unprecedented loss.
Though the prime minister’s caucus “directly spoke truth to power” and urged him to reflect, “there has been no change.”
“Our leadership is not hearing Canadians and many Liberals are ringing the fire alarm,” wrote Chahal.
“Any rational individual in a position of leadership would resign.”
“Any group of individuals providing advice based on data and logic would reach the same conclusion.”
“Unfortunately, a small cabal have decided to pursue a reckless strategy of mutual assured political destruction. It is clear the Liberal Party of Canada is not their priority.”
“The Liberal Party of Canada is not a movement beholden to any one individual Prime Minister. Justin Trudeau no longer has the support of caucus, and to maintain some dignity, he should immediately tender his resignation.”
Chahal added that he and his fellow caucus members “do not support a secret conclave where caucus chooses the new leader,” but instead the caucus should elect an interim leader.
Chahal further wrote to the Liberal party president, Sachit Mehra, urging the party to prepare for an election whether or not Trudeau resigns, according to the Calgary Herald. The next general election is scheduled for October 2025.
Meanwhile, the Atlantic Liberal caucus unanimously has called for Trudeau's resignation. New Brunswick Liberal MP Wayne Long shared to social media a letter to the prime minister written by Atlantic caucus chair Kody Blois.
The letter followed a caucus meeting held just before Christmas. "The discussion this morning centred around the need for you to resign as the Leader of the Liberal party and to urgently allow for a process to determine a new leader to replace you," wrote Blois.
"Our colleagues this morning expressed their deep personal affection for you, their pride in our work as a Liberal team, but also their deep concern that without a leadership change that progress will be lost under a Pierre Poilievre-led government."
Blois listed President-elect Donald Trump’s 25% tariff threat that is expected to go into effect on inauguration day, January 20, and the fact that the Tories are now joined by the Bloc Quebecois and even Jagmeet Singh’s NDPs in saying they support a non-confidence vote.
He further called on national caucus chair Brenda Shanahan, urging an emergency caucus meeting in early January to "discuss next steps.”
Butts on Friday published The Ballad of Justin and Chrystia on his Substack.
“The spectacle of Chrystia Freeland taking Justin Trudeau out with the calculated precision of a Ukrainian drone strike had pundits and politicos reaching for their Shakespeare,” wrote Butts.
“Fitting, since both principals are now more likely to die (politically), and the scene set the stage for a perilous final act of the Liberal Party’s second Trudeau era.”
“With respect to the fallout from the Trudeau-Freeland political breakup, those consequences are clear: Mr. Trudeau was unlikely to lead the Liberal Party into the next election and is now much less likely to do so.”
“That election will probably come sooner rather than later, and the odds of it producing a Conservative majority government are materially greater than they were before the events of 16 December.”