New Brunswick MP Wayne Long called for the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a letter to caucus members on Friday.
“Colleagues, after reflecting on this week’s defeat in Toronto—St Paul’s and then seeing the response, I want you to know clearly and directly where I stand,” wrote Long, according to a report by Althia Raj in the Toronto Star.
“For the future of our party and for the good of our country we need new leadership and a new direction. The voters have spoken loud and clear they want change. I agree.”
Long is the first Liberal caucus member to publicly call for Trudeau to step down.
According to the Toronto Star, it was “understood (that the letter) would leak to the media, and start a national conversation.”
The loss of Toronto–St. Paul’s was a watershed moment for the Liberals, ending some 30 years of the riding being a safe stronghold for the party.
The seat had been held by a Liberal MP since 1993.
The upset loss sent a ripple through the country, and several former Liberal MPs and ministers have already made calls for Trudeau to step down in the wake of the Conservatives win.
Former B.C. premier Christy Clark also said it’s time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign, urging Liberal MPs to lobby him behind closed doors to step aside if he doesn’t do it on his own.
“I think the leader needs to be replaced,” Clark told the Globe and Mail in an interview on Thursday. “I think it’s time for him to move on to other, fairer pastures.”
Clark noted that the seat remained under Liberal control under previous leaders like Michael Ignatieff and Stéphane Dion, who suffered electoral losses, saying that voters have made it clear that they “don’t want the leadership of the party.”
“When parties start losing ridings like this one, that are really at the heart of their strength, it’s tough to make the argument that there doesn’t need to be change at the top,” said Clark.
Former environment minister Catherine McKenna, who served in Trudeau’s cabinet from 2015 to 2021, echoed the same sentiment in a statement to Global News on Friday.
“The Liberal party isn’t about one person. It’s about the values it stands for and it’s about improving the lives of Canadians,” said McKenna.
“The prime minister has a legacy to be proud of but it’s time for new ideas, new energy and a new leader. There is too much at stake in this election especially on the economy and climate.”