'Pretty limited' options for Liberal MPs calling for leadership change

As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand.

As calls mount within the federal Liberal Party for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as leader, one political analyst says there’s little his detractors can do to force his hand.

In a Sunday interview with CTV News Channel, Lori Turnbull of Dalhousie University and the Institute on Governance said the decision remains Trudeau’s at this time, as the party previously removed the option to initiate a leadership change through a majority vote.

“There isn't the mechanism in the Liberal Party that there is in the Conservative Party,” explained Turnbull.

“They availed themselves of the Reform Act and in not using that mechanism. (The Conservatives) ousted Erin O'Toole a few years ago and then had the leadership process that brought Pierre Poilievre in. But the Liberals didn't take advantage of that mechanism where the caucus can, with a 50-per-cent-plus-one vote, push the leader out, and then replace with an interim leader. And so, their options for actually pushing him out of the door are pretty limited.”

According to Turnbull, the resignation requests from within Trudeau's caucus, be they through the media or in back rooms, appears to be the adoption of a "death by a thousand cuts" approach ahead of an impending federal election.

“As they get into election-readiness mode, as the party has to move toward making sure all the candidates are nominated, this last push to see whether there's any budging for those who want him to go — we're seeing that happen now.”

Turnbull added that the current lack of an heir-apparent for party leader removes some of the pressure on Trudeau, but that could change once leadership challengers emerge who caucus members could potentially rally around.