Some Liberals say a chance at Trudeau’s cabinet not worth it

Article content

OTTAWA — As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepares to name his new cabinet, some Liberals say the chance of serving in it has lost its appeal, following the chaos-causing departure of Chrystia Freeland.

Article content

Article content

Others question the shuffle’s timing, considering how Trudeau has spent the days since Freeland’s resignation behind closed doors, contemplating his future, with no clear indication he is ready to share his conclusion. Meanwhile, each day, one by one, more Liberal members of Parliament have been speaking out, mostly calling for him to resign.

Article content

Such is the state Trudeau finds himself, as government offices prepare to close for Christmas and the Liberals are just 12 days away from an election year, after having two cabinet shakeups in five days.

“If I was asked,” said one Liberal MP, who had not been, “with what happened with Chrystia, I would not accept.”

“Why would I enter a burning building?”

While Trudeau’s closet advisors could dismiss MP’s concerns as sour grapes—one member said while he wasn’t after a cabinet seat, he wouldn’t turn one down—more Liberals are encouraging each other to tell Trudeau to resign, citing it as the only hope the party has against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Outspoken New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, who is not seeking re-election, circulated an open letter to caucus after Freeland’s resignation, saying the ordeal has served as an “indictment of the chaos and insularity within the Prime Minister’s inner circle,” and that what happened underlines the point that “the prime minister must step aside.”

“It’s pretty disappointing to see some people that absolutely know that things are not right with the prime minister’s leadership and those in (the Prime Minister’s Office) that surround him. They absolutely know what happened to Chrystia Freeland was embarrassing, but not only embarrassing, but morally wrong, but yet remain silent because they’re going to get a cabinet post. ”

Article content

Article content

With nine ministers having declared that they are either not seeking re-election or have already stepped down for other reasons, Long said he understands the need for Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet for governance reasons, especially with some ministers carrying extra portfolios. Still, he believes it will not lessen the Liberals’ troubles.

“You can shuffle the cards on the table as many times as you want, but it’s still the same deck, and the leader of this group is Justin Trudeau, and that’s the problem” he says.

Even before Freeland’s departure, Trudeau was facing the need to swap out at least five cabinet ministers who have declared they are not running again, including Housing Minister Sean Fraser, who made his decision public on Monday, the same day Freeland announced she was quitting in a scathing resignation letter posted to the social media platform X.

Toronto MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who is expected to take his place, took the highly unusual step of consulting with others about the decision, which MPs typically keep private given the confidential nature of cabinet, National Post learned.

Article content

One hiccup was the fact the outspoken MP, who has not been shy about criticizing his government at times, already declared at the start of 2024 he would not be reoffering. A nomination contest has since begun to find his replacement.

A second Liberal MP, who was not approached and also spoke on the condition of background, said the events of the past week would have led them to refuse anyhow.

That member said things seemed to be improving only a few weeks back, following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s win, which caused their main rival, Poilievre, to play some defence and deal with grumblings within his caucus spilling out into the headlines.

Things changed, the MP said, when Trudeau announced the government would be doling out $250 cheques next spring without consulting caucus beforehand — a promise the Liberals ultimately left out of Monday’s fiscal update, with officials saying it was because the government found no opposition party willing to support the proposal in the minority Parliament.

Some caucus members also complained about how the cheques would not be going to seniors who were retired, which became a major sticking points for both the federal New Democrats and the Bloc Québécois.

Article content

Liberal strategist Andrew Perez, who has repeatedly called for Trudeau to step down, said he was “surprised” by the shuffle’s timing, which he suggested could be a possible “last ditch attempt to try to strengthen his grip on the party leadership, even if it’s just for another couple months.”

“That shows the true crisis the party and the government have been plunged into when you have MPs that probably have been yearning to be in cabinet for years… are at a breaking point whereby they wouldn’t even take the role,” said Perez, who is the principal at Perez Strategies.

While promoting MPs from the backbench into cabinet could ensure loyalty, Perez said members who have been vying for a spot will feel like they have nothing to lose and could start to speak out more.

After sources confirmed a Friday shuffle was happening, Toronto MP and parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs Rob Oliphant posted on X he has requested his riding association’s executive to have an emergency meeting to hear their feelings before going public with his thoughts about Trudeau’s leadership.

Article content

“Politics 101. Not one Canadian or MP that wants a change in leadership will change their mind because of a cabinet shuffle,” wrote Montreal MP Anthony Housefather, who has also called on Trudeau to leave.

A third Liberal MP, also speaking on background, defended the idea of a cabinet shuffle this late in the year, arguing some ministers have too many portfolios and have been stretched too thin. B.C MP Ken Hardie added: “The names rumoured to be named to cabinet are quality people.”

Of those carrying extra, Anita Anand, who has been serving as both Treasury Board President and minister of transport and Veterans Affairs Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, who temporarily assumed the duties as minister for employment and official languages, following last month’s resignation of Edmonton MP Randy Boissonnault.

Newly named Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc also has to shed his responsibilities as public safety minister after he was sworn-in as Freeland’s successor after her sudden exit.

The timing of the shuffle also lands on the last day before staffers and officials break for the holidays, with the Prime Minister’s Office warning them to keep quiet after a week of widespread confusion.

Article content

How some felt about the ordeal could be summed up in a meme circulating among staffers with Trudeau’s face placed on the Tim Burton character Jack Skellington on an image with the words, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

National Post
staylor@postmedia.com

Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

Article content