Dissatisfied Liberal MPs plan to ask PM Trudeau to step aside at next caucus meeting

Liberal MPs who have spent the last 10 days organizing to ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside from the leadership of the Liberal Party plan to plead their case directly to him at next Wednesday's caucus.

Liberal MPs who have spent the last 10 days organizing to formally ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside from the leadership of the Liberal Party plan to plead their case directly to him at next Wednesday’s caucus.

Multiple sources familiar with the plan told CTV News the overarching objective is to be direct with the prime minister and keep the discussions private. Some MPs will be designated in advance, based on their comfort level speaking on the issue, to reflect the group’s sentiment that Trudeau should step aside for the good of the party in the next federal election.

MPs who spoke to CTV News on the condition of anonymity said they also plan to voice their frustration with the way in which the Prime Minister’s Office has handled the loss of two significant byelections in historically Liberal-safe ridings in Toronto and Montreal.

Those MPs were convinced by the prime minister’s communications staff at a caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C .in early September that a substantive plan was underway to react to the losses and sentiment underpinning them, but that never happened.

MPs in Atlantic Canada were particularly frustrated in their conversations with CTV News on the issue.

Since Friday, CTV News has spoken with 35 Liberal MPs, five of whom confirmed they endorse the plan to formally ask the prime minister to step aside.

The majority of those MPs said they are aware of the existence of such a letter but would not confirm signing it.