Chahal said he was ‘continuously’ hearing concerns from constituents about multiple issues, but had not heard any about Trudeau’s leadership
Calgary’s lone Liberal MP appears to be standing by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau going into the next federal election, as an apparent internal revolt against the party leader continues to gain momentum.
During a news conference to announce a $13-million federal investment into Calgary’s tech industry on Thursday morning, Calgary Skyview MP George Chahal side-stepped a barrage of questions from media outlets about a growing movement of Liberal MPs to oust Trudeau as the party’s leader.
Chahal expressed his support for the prime minister’s vision going into the next federal election and gave no indication that he would join efforts to force Trudeau out, saying the decision to step down as party leader was up to Trudeau.
“I believe in the vision the prime minister . . . brought forward,” Chahal said. “That’s why I ran as a Liberal member of Parliament, and that’s why I continue to run as a Liberal member of our party in the upcoming election.
“The prime minister has done a lot of great work for our nation since being elected in 2015 . . . and he will continue to lead us until he decides, or chooses, that he does not want to.”
On Thursday morning, Chahal said he was “continuously” hearing concerns from constituents about multiple issues, but had not heard any about Trudeau’s leadership. Instead, he said health care was the “top of mind” concern for his constituents, along with “divisive politics” brought forward by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Another Liberal MP, Wayne Long of New Brunswick, had previously called for Trudeau to step down after the party’s surprising June 24 byelection loss in Toronto — St. Paul’s, which was considered a party stronghold.
At the time, Chahal penned a letter, signed by several Liberal MPs, in which he called for an in-person caucus meeting to discuss the direction of the party.
On Thursday, Chahal did not seem concerned about running in the next election under Trudeau’s banner.
Filomena Tassi, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal will not be on the next ballot, according to a senior government source. Tassi has attributed her decision to personal reasons, and said in a statement released on social media that she still believes in Trudeau’s leadership.
It’s not clear yet when the shuffle will happen, but the source said it could be by the end of next week.
Multiple polls currently have the Conservatives leading the Liberals by 20 points.
The next federal election is set to take place on or before Oct. 20, 2025.
— With files from Catherine Lévesque and The Canadian Press