Atlantic Liberal caucus calls for Trudeau to step down as leader

The Atlantic Liberal caucus is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as party leader. 

Following an Atlantic Liberal caucus meeting the morning of Dec. 23, caucus chair Kody Blois wrote a letter to Trudeau, shared Sunday on social media by New Brunswick Liberal MP Wayne Long. 

"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 to Trudeau. 

"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."

In an email to CBC News on Monday, Long said he released the letter "because it's a representation of the majority of our Atlantic caucus."

Aside from the cabinet ministers in the Atlantic caucus, "a clear majority of the other 18 of us feel he needs to step down," said Long. 

Potential instability from Donald Trump's threatened 25 per cent tariff on Canadian exports to the U.S., and all three main opposition parties saying they would support a vote of non-confidence in the new year, are among the reasons Blois listed for urging Trudeau to go.

Blois said he also wrote to national caucus chair Brenda Shanahan calling for an urgent caucus meeting in early January to "discuss next steps," including whether caucus should choose an interim party leader.

CBC News reached out to Blois but did not immediately hear back. 

Days prior to the Atlantic caucus meeting, the Ontario Liberal caucus also met and also came to the conclusion that Trudeau should resign, multiple sources told CBC News.