Canada's PM Trudeau vows to lead his Liberal Party into next election

Justin Trudeau plans to lead Liberal Party into next election despite calls to step down, facing challenges ahead.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday (October 24, 2024) that he will lead his Liberal Party into the next election, dismissing a request by some party members to not run for a fourth term.

Mr. Trudeau met with his Liberal members of Parliament for three hours Wednesday (October 23, 2024), where he learned that more than 20 lawmakers from his party signed a letter asking him to step down before the next election.

He said there were “robust conversations” ongoing about the best way forward, but "that will happen with me as leader going into the next election.” No Canadian prime minister in more than a century has won four straight terms.

Mr. Trudeau's Cabinet Ministers have said he has the support of the vast majority of the 153 Liberal Party members of the House of Commons.

Sean Casey, one of the Liberal lawmakers who signed the letter asking Mr. Trudeau to step down, said he was disappointed Mr. Trudeau didn't take the time to reflect but said he now considers the matter done and he's moving on. Mr. Casey said Mr. Trudeau listened but wasn't swayed.

“This was a decision he had every right to make and he made it,” Mr. Casey told reporters. “I did my job in voicing what I was hearing from constituents and now I have to direct my energy to winning my seat and not internal party matters. As far as I'm concerned it is closed.” The Liberals recently suffered upsets in special elections for seats representing two districts in Toronto and Montreal that the party has held for years, raising doubts about Mr. Trudeau's leadership.

The federal election could come anytime between this fall and next October. The Liberals must rely on the support of at least one major party in Parliament, as they don't hold an outright majority themselves.