Trudeau leadership: Liberals should have ‘robust’ discussion, MP says

Amid mounting pressure from within the Liberal caucus for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to consider stepping down as party leader, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather says there should be “robust” conversations on the topic.

When asked directly during an interview on CTV News Channel’s Power Play whether he supports Trudeau’s continued leadership of the party, Housefather wouldn’t say.

“I support whoever is leader of my party at all times,” he told host Vassy Kapelos. “But that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a robust caucus discussion about who the best person to lead us in the next election is.”

“And that discussion should happen in caucus,” he added. “It shouldn’t happen in the media.”

But when pressed on whether he has taken part in said discussions, Housefather wouldn’t directly say.

“I certainly hope the entire caucus and the prime minister are part of that discussion,” he said. “It’s discussions that are ongoing, and should happen in every party, at all times.”

“Every party wants to win the next election, and you’ve got to talk about what is the best way for us to win the next election, the best way for us to do well, the best way for us to respond to Canadians, and I think that should happen within caucus, and that’s where I intend to have those discussions,” Housefather added.

On Friday, CTV News reported that a group of backbench MPs, primarily from Atlantic Canada and southwestern Ontario, had been in discussions for days to formally ask for the prime minister to consider the future of the Liberal party when deciding whether to stay at the helm of it.

News of an internal push to oust Trudau was first reported by the Toronto Star.

The story broke while the prime minister was in the air, on a flight home from an international trade summit in Laos.

Last spring, Housefather — who has been a Liberal since he was a teenager — made headlines for stating he hadn’t ruled out crossing the floor to join the Conservative Party, over disagreements within the Liberal caucus when it comes to recognizing Palestinian statehood.

After weeks of deliberation, Housefather ultimately decided to stay in the Liberal caucus, writing in a lengthy statement his “core values remain Liberal ones.”

He was subsequently appointed the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Jewish Community Relations and Antisemitism in July.

In Tuesday’s interview, Housefather also discussed Canada’s decision to list the pro-Palestinian group Samidoun as a terrorist entity, something he has been advocating for, for “an extended period of time.”

“I think I got the job of special advisor because I spoke truth to power, and I publicly stated that I thought we weren’t doing enough,” Housefather said.

“I think there has been a considerable change, and a considerable understanding of how important it is to tackle hate domestically, and not allow conflicts across the world to ferment hate here in Canada,” he also said. “All communities have a right to leave peacefully in Canada, and that includes Jews.”

You can watch Housefather’s full interview on CTV Power Play in the video player at the top of this article.

With files from CTV News’ Rachel Aiello and Stephanie Ha