A perfect storm of circumstances has given rise to a hollowed-out party apparatus — a shift seen in left-liberal parties across the world.
What has been widely described as a caucus revolt against the prime minister can be seen as evidence of the hollowness at the heart of the modern Liberal party.
It reads to me as indicative of the organizational weakness of the current Liberal parliamentary caucus and wider party apparatus. Viewed as the party’s saviour in the wake of a devastating 2011 election result, Trudeau might have learned to take the unwavering loyalty of his backbenchers for granted — and apparently they, in turn, have not flexed their muscles of significant dissent for so long that they have nearly atrophied entirely.
The PM’s apparent blasé attitude to caucus management combined with the departure of several cabinet heavyweights elected in the Liberal majority of 2015 has created a perfect storm for a top-heavy and shallow organization.
Either way the party apparatus appears to be in need of a root-to-branch overhaul.
Dónal Gill is assistant professor of Canadian politics at Concordia University.