Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland speaks at a news conference in Ottawa, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. Freeland says she is "absolutely confident" the majority of Liberal MPs still support Justin Trudeau as leader.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says she is “absolutely confident” the majority of Liberal MPs still support Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader.
Her comments come ahead of what promises to be a tense meeting of the Liberal caucus in Ottawa next week as a growing number of MPs try to convince Justin Trudeau to step down.
Several media reports have uncovered efforts by some Liberal MPs to confront the prime minister at the next caucus meeting.
There is no mechanism for caucus to force the prime minister to step down as leader, and he has so far not wavered in his plans to stay on.
Freeland says she takes the ideas, work and contribution of each caucus member very seriously.
She says in any caucus there is sure to be a wide range of views but she believes, as a whole, Trudeau has its support.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.