If Trudeau is holding on through fear, a secret ballot could reveal the true extent of opposition to his leadership within the Liberal Caucus.
With Justin Trudeau having fended off the Liberal rebels, those within the Liberal Caucus are looking for safer ways to express their opposition to the Prime Minister’s ongoing leadership of their party.
Some Liberal MPs are now pushing for a secret ballot to express their view on Justin Trudeau’s leadership:
“They say the ballot question should be straightforward: “Should Justin Trudeau lead us into the next election?”
“Given the fact that there are quite a number of MPs, quite a number of Liberals and Canadians who feel that someone else should lead the Liberal Party into the next election, I think the way to move forward is to hold a secret ballot vote. I think that’s the best thing for the party and for the country,” Liberal MP Yvan Baker said.”
Baker said it should be a secret ballot vote so MPs can vote “without fear of repercussions or consequences.”
“The prime minister and his team have said on a number of occasions that he enjoys the support of the vast majority of caucus. To me, that suggests he shouldn’t have any concerns about putting it to a secret ballot vote,” Baker said.
It will be interesting to see how Liberal MPs react to this proposal, and how the Prime Minister’s top aides react.
If the PMO shows a willingness to support a vote, it demonstrates their confidence in Trudeau’s support. If not, it indicates their concern that his position is vulnerable.
And if Liberal MPs speak out in favour of a secret ballot, that can be used as a proxy for those who support removing Trudeau but are being dissuaded from opposing him due to fear of crossing the Prime Minister and his loyalists.
Spencer Fernando
Photo – YouTube