With Trudeau on the ropes, Liberals contemplate the next election with hope and anxiety
CBC
In Justin Trudeau's inner circle, there is no doubt about it — the prime minister will lead his party into what promises to be a hard-fought election battle against Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives in 2025.
He says he wants to defend his vision of the country. He feels his legacy is under threat. He considered stepping down during his marriage difficulties last year, but decided to stay.
"I just realized, that's not me. There is so much to do still," he said during a recent episode of the ReThinking podcast.
The polls are not good for the Liberals — in fact, they're struggling to overcome the 15 to 20-point gap that separates them from the Conservatives. But those close to the prime minister like to point out that their leader is used to being underestimated and performs well under pressure.
But in the halls of Parliament, many Liberals are worried.
"Several MPs from the Greater Toronto Area are afraid of losing their seats," one Ontario elected official said. The official requested confidentiality to speak more freely.
Some MPs said they find it hard to believe Trudeau is capable of turning things around and believe a change of leadership is necessary.
"We would be better off changing leaders for the good of our country," one Liberal MP said, adding that he has a lot of respect for Trudeau and what he has accomplished.
He fears, however, that Trudeau's unpopularity will act as a drag on his party. The MP added that public weariness with Trudeau's leadership has reached a point of no return.
"Tomorrow morning, if we saw Justin Trudeau jump into a river to save two children being chased by a crocodile, people would say it was his fault," the MP said.
"If he doesn't leave on his own, I will be disappointed."
Another elected official, who said he is undecided about Trudeau's future, compared the political atmosphere to the final months of Kathleen Wynne's time as premier of Ontario before her crushing defeat by Doug Ford in 2018.
"Whatever Ms. Wynne said, it just didn't stick," the MP said.
Radio-Canada has spoken with more than 25 Liberal MPs from different parts of the country in recent weeks. Most of them say Trudeau should stay; they argue he remains an excellent campaigner, while Poilevre has not yet been tested.
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