Chrystia Freeland, popular with some MPs, criticized by others
Chrystia Freeland, now a member of the Liberal backbench, is the pick of several of her backbench peers to succeed Justin Trudeau as leader and as prime minister of Canada.
But her popularity is not universal, some MPs have told Global News.
In fact, some of Trudeau’s ministers resent the method and timing of her departure, a sharply worded resignation letter that dropped hours before Freeland was to table her government’s Fall Economic Statement a week ago.
“Chrystia Freeland’s actions are deeply disappointing,” said Brampton, Ont., Liberal MP Kamal Khera who is also the minister of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities.
“At a time when unity is critical, her decision to undermine the Prime Minister and this government is reckless and self-serving.”
As a member of the Ontario Liberal caucus, Khera and several other ministers were present for a virtual meeting of that caucus Saturday. Some Liberal MPs who participated in that meeting said that that there was “strong consensus” or a “clear consensus” that Trudeau step down as leader.
But, in a statement to Global News, Khera defended Trudeau.
“The PM has led us through three elections, a pandemic, and countless challenges with a vision Canadians trust. The majority of us remain focused on the real work ahead, including protecting Canada from the threat of another Trump administration,” Khera said.
“That’s where our energy belongs—not on personal agendas.”
Liberal MPs told Global News and the Toronto Star that Khera did not voice those opinions defending Trudeau during the Saturday caucus meeting, But Khera was not not the only minister to criticize Freeland: Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, who represents a Thunder Bay, Ont. riding, also criticized the former finance minister for the manner in which she resigned.
Hajdu did not respond to a request for comment.
Toronto MP Nate Erskine-Smith was appointed to cabinet on Friday and then, not 24 hours later, told his Ontario caucus colleagues that he did not believe Trudeau should lead the party into the next election. That detail was first reported by The Toronto Star. Global News subsequently confirmed that point with several MPs who were on the call.
But Global News also learned that Erskine-Smith subsequently took to a private chat group to which Ontario Liberal MPs belong to complain about the fact that his comments were leaked to reporters. Then, in that chat group, another Ontario MP chastised Erskine-Smith for complaining and suggested that his comments about Trudeau’s leadership were inappropriate for a newly minted cabinet minister.
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On Monday, Erskine-Smith said he did not say that he did not believe Trudeau should lead the party into the next election and said colleagues who have told reporters that he did say that are mistaken and may have been motivated to do so by their own political agendas. Erskine-Smith said that what he told Ontario caucus is that the prime minister should be afforded the time he has requested for reflection to decide if he or someone else would be best to lead the Liberals in the next election.
As for Freeland, she took part in the Saturday’s meeting, but did not say anything, multiple MPs who were on the call said.
The Ontario caucus consists of 75 MPs, about 60 per cent of the overall Liberal caucus of 121. But about 25 MPs did not attend the virtual caucus. Many of those absent were attending the wedding Saturday of their colleague Vance Badawey, the MP for the Ontario riding of Niagara Centre.
The Atlantic Canada Liberal caucus is to hold a virtual meeting Monday with the same agenda: assessing the tumultuous events of the last week and determining next steps.
The Atlantic caucus was the source of the first attempt, in October, to unseat Trudeau.
Meanwhile, a source close to Freeland, who also asked not to be identified, responded to calls by MPs like Sean Casey and Chandra Arya that she become leader by saying, “That is not at all what [last] Monday was about. The PM lost confidence in her and she felt she couldn’t continue as a Minister knowing that he no longer had confidence in her. It’s really as simple as that. So I think the chatter is getting way ahead of itself right now.”
Several Ontario Liberal MPs interviewed Sunday by Global News spoke admiringly of Freeland but some said they would prefer Dominic LeBlanc, who took Freeland’s job as finance minister last Monday, to take over as leader in the belief that LeBlanc would be a much better match for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Others said they had not yet made up their minds who should succeed Trudeau but that that person should be “a centrist,” an acknowledgement that many Liberal MPs believe Trudeau has moved the party too far to the left.
Rob Oliphant, the MP for the Toronto riding of Don Valley West and who has been a caucus colleague of Trudeau since they were both elected in the 2008 general election, spoke of a frustration that the leader was not listening to his views or the views of others in caucus.
“I’ve been cautious what I’ve said at caucus. If the prime minister wants to know my opinion on his leadership, it will only be to him, it will be directly to him,” Oliphant said Saturday before participating the Ontario Liberal caucus meeting. “And I’ve asked him twice to to talk to me about that and he hasn’t.”
So, last week, Oliphant convened a meeting of his riding executive and he said they expressed the unanimous view that Trudeau ought to step down and that Oliphant ought to publicly express their opinion, which he did on Thursday.
“We’re a progressive riding. And yet there’s an obstacle there and it’s Justin Trudeau. And people are not rational about it,” Oliphant said.
Toronto MP Michael Coteau, who represents Don Valley East and who is the current chair of the Ontario caucus, was told to inform the prime minister directly as soon as possible about the views of the Ontario caucus.
And yet, some Ontario Liberals said they were not confident that Trudeau would take a meeting with Coteau or that Coteau’s message would be intercepted by Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford and withheld from Trudeau. Coteau did not respond Sunday to requests for comment.
Several MPs who spoke to Global News cited that concern as one of the reasons they and other MPs spoke to reporters about what is normally a confidential caucus meeting.
Editor’s Note: Since this story was published, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Nate Erskine-Smith has responded to our request for comment and this story has been updated to include that response.
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