Liberals unhappy with Trudeau ‘don’t have another choice’: ex-BQ leader

Gilles Duceppe said no one is running to replace Justin Trudeau as leader of the beleaguered Liberal party 'because they know they will lose'

Former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe thinks the writing’s on the wall for the federal Liberals — which is why no one is clamouring to replace beleaguered Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ahead of the next election.

In an interview with Mercedes Stephenson that aired Sunday on The West Block, Duceppe said he’s heard from Liberals in Quebec who are unhappy with Trudeau’s leadership and the party’s electoral prospects. But with no one waiting in the wings to chart a new course, there’s little that can be done.

“They’re not happy, but they don’t have another choice,” he said.

“The problem is, nobody is ready to replace Trudeau or want to replace Trudeau because they know they will lose. So it’s not very interesting running when you know you will suffer a very severe defeat.”

Trudeau and the Liberals have spent more than a year in a double-digit polling deficit against Pierre Poilievre and his Conservative party, but Trudeau has repeatedly insisted he will lead the Liberals in the next federal election.

A number of Liberal MPs have signed on to an internal document calling on Trudeau to step aside, which is expected to be raised at the next caucus meeting on Wednesday. Last week saw four more ministers tell Trudeau they won’t run for re-election, adding to a growing cabinet exodus and other MP resignations this year.

The Liberals in recent weeks also lost two key byelections in the Toronto and Montreal areas that they had held for years. The latter riding, LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, was narrowly won by the Bloc, whose fortunes appear on the rise.

Duceppe said while the Conservatives have eaten away at Liberal votes in Quebec, Poilievre is also not well liked in the province, which has allowed the Bloc to ascend.