Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is eager to do battle with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre as soon as Parliament returns, which will also be marked by the by-election in LaSalle–Émard–Verdun, where the Liberals could bite the dust.
Asked whether he considers his leadership to be at stake if a defeat occurs, Mr. Trudeau did not answer directly, arguing that “all by-elections are important.”
“But all by-elections are also a time when Canadians can express their concerns, but also their ambitions for the future,” he said Wednesday on the sidelines of the Liberal caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C.
Trudeau said the issue for voters in this election is whether they prefer the cuts he says a Poilievre government would make or the Liberal plan to “invest in Canadians.”
“This is the choice that people will make in the upcoming by-elections. This is the choice that people will make next year. I look forward to continuing to get involved this fall,” he said.
In addition to the vote in Montreal, another by-election is taking place Monday in the Manitoba riding of Elmwood-Transcona.
LaSalle–Émard–Verdun, a riding located southwest of Montreal, has long been a Liberal stronghold. Former cabinet minister David Lametti held it from 2015 until his resignation last January.
Before a redistricting, former Prime Minister Paul Martin represented voters in part of the current constituency.
But in a context where the Liberals are lagging behind in the polls, LaSalle–Émard–Verdun could be the scene of a three-way fight.