After the party’s defeat in the Toronto by-election, in a riding that was until now considered a Liberal stronghold, several ministers in the Trudeau cabinet reiterated that they are listening to dissatisfied voters.
However, although these ministers said they were willing to listen to Canadians put off by the Liberals and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, none could say how their team planned to respond to these concerns.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks, and MP Karina Gould, on parental leave from her position as government House leader, all say that Mr. Trudeau is the best person to lead the Liberals into the next election against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Recently, cabinet members have been fanning out across the country to make announcements about their work on their files. Instead, they have been bombarded with questions about their government’s weakening political prospects.
Mme Saks said the results of this week’s Toronto — St Paul’s by-election suggest the government needs to go to communities and start listening to what they want from Ottawa.
Mr. Miller, for his part, believes that voters have sent the Liberals a message that they cannot ignore, adding that the party must listen to the people and “get back on the horse.”
For her part, the minister and co-president of the Liberal campaign Soraya Martinez Ferrada indicated in an interview with The Canadian Press that Justin Trudeau is “the best campaigner » that she knows.
The elected official believes that the Prime Minister can still surprise during the next electoral campaign, which should begin in the fall of 2025.
“We have a year and a half left. So we have time to take the lessons of St. Paul’s, then roll up our sleeves, then organize ourselves to be present for the next campaign. Then I think Justin can do that. »
According to Mme Martinez Ferrada, there are no concerns in caucus about Justin Trudeau’s leadership. “The question is more how do we organize ourselves better, and then how do we do things differently to be ready for the next campaign,” she said. Now is not the time to launch a leadership race. We’re not there. »
With Michel Saba