How the internal push to force Trudeau to resign played out — and what might happen next

Internal calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign as Liberal leader were aired out behind closed doors Wednesday as Liberal MPs met on Parliament Hill.

All party caucuses meet weekly when the House of Commons is sitting. Liberal MPs who want Trudeau to step down used Wednesday's meeting to deliver their grievances to the prime minister in person.

Here's what happened behind the scenes, what MPs said after the meeting and what could happen in the coming weeks.

Sources speaking to Radio-Canada said that 24 MPs signed an agreement to call on Trudeau to step down as Liberal leader.

Two sources told CBC News that B.C. MP Patrick Weiler read out a separate document — which laid out an argument for Trudeau's resignation — during the meeting.

Weiler pointed to the boost that Democrats gained after U.S. President Joe Biden backed out of the presidential race and suggested the Liberals could see a similar rebound.

(CBC News/Radio-Canada has reached out to Weiler for comment.)

MPs were given two minutes each to address the room during the three-hour-long meeting. About 20 — none of them cabinet ministers — stood up to urge Trudeau to step aside before the next election, sources said. But a number of MPs also stood to voice support for the prime minister.

The dissident MPs gave Trudeau until Oct. 28 to decide on his future, sources said. But no consequences attached to that deadline were mentioned in the document read to caucus Wednesday.

The prime minister himself addressed the meeting and two MPs told CBC News that he became emotional when he talked about his children having to see "F--- Trudeau" signs in public.

At the end of the meeting, Trudeau said he would reflect on what he heard but didn't indicate that he would resign.

Several MPs left Wednesday's meeting indicating that they'd had an open conversation on which caucus members needed to reflect. Others said that the party is "united" in fighting the Conservatives and their leader Pierre Poilievre.

"It was a great discussion, the type of discussion that Canadians would be proud to see," Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said.

"What really matters in the end is that we come out of that caucus meeting united, resolved and delivering for Canadians."