Liberal caucus chairs meet to talk Trudeau, PM attends Canada-U.S. cabinet committee

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was back in Ottawa today, but having yet to signal he's ready to address the snowballing resignation calls, the Liberal caucus' regional chairs called a meeting today to discuss next steps.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was back in Ottawa today, but having yet to signal he's ready to address the snowballing resignation calls, the Liberal caucus' regional chairs called a meeting today to discuss next steps.

The virtual meeting took place at 3 p.m. EST, according to sources, and during the call regional caucus representatives were set to ask national caucus chair Brenda Shanahan to consider calling a meeting of all Liberal MPs.

The conversation came as some MPs want the prime minister to be presented with a more formal push for his resignation, or to at least put a timeline on deciding on whether he intends to stay on as party leader.

"They're thinking about … what they do if the prime minister decides that he is not going to announce his departure. How do they … come together and place maximum pressure on the prime minister, make it obvious that he can't stay and secure that departure commitment from him," said Scott Reid, CTV News political analyst and former communications director to then-prime minister Paul Martin.

This meeting comes after calls for Trudeau to step down grew over the holidays from caucus members across the country. Liberals are also contemplating the party's leadership rules and the kinds of preparations needed for a potentially expedited race.

"There's a very spirited discussion happening behind the scenes within the Liberal party as to how to select the next leader. People are already looking past the prime minister, and the challenge they have, is that the parliamentary calendar and the constitution of the Liberal party, which dictates how and when you pick a new leader, those things are starting to collide," Reid said.

"There's so little time left on the parliamentary calendar. There's so grave a threat that the government will be defeated in the spring, that the desire to pick a new leader and how they're going to pick it, that's a big topic for discussion."