Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at a meeting of the Liberal caucus, on Parliament Hill on May 25.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Liberal MPs have voted against having the power to oust Mark Carney as their leader despite months of internal frustrations last year that they couldn’t kick out Justin Trudeau.
Sunday marked the first Liberal caucus meeting since the federal election – the moment at which recognized party caucuses must decide whether or not to adopt the rules set out in the Reform Act.
The decade-old legislation is designed to give MPs more of a say over how they’re governed. That includes having the power to remove their leader, if specific thresholds are met.
But the Liberal caucus voted not to adopt the Reform Act’s rules, even though some MPs regretted that they had no mechanism to remove a deeply unpopular Mr. Trudeau as leader throughout 2024, when polls were showing their party was destined to lose the next election.
Mr. Trudeau ultimately quit, triggering the leadership race handily won by Mr. Carney in March. As the new Liberal Leader – and as Prime Minister – he turned the party’s fortunes around and won another minority mandate for his party last month.
Some Liberal MPs said Sunday that they didn’t feel this time that they needed the power to remove their leader.
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“Mark Carney is by far the greatest leader that we’ve seen since Lester B. Pearson,” Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma MP Terry Sheehan told reporters before the meeting, adding that if he does have a problem, he will let Mr. Carney know in the caucus room.
Others said the power to remove a leader ought to rest with membership, not the caucus of elected MPs.
“I think there needs to be some serious reforms to the party constitution and give that right to the membership,” said St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle on his way into the meeting.
Still others said the caucus must be able to hold their leaders to account.
“I have the scars from the past where I think we haven’t necessarily always been taken seriously,” Whitby MP Ryan Turnbull said.
“We have full confidence in our leader, but I do believe in caucus accountability.”
Four MPs told the Globe and Mail that Sunday’s vote was preceded by debate on the Reform Act’s pros-and-cons – a marked departure all pointed out from the first caucus meetings after past elections, where the idea of adopting the law was summarily dismissed.
The Globe is not identifying the MPs so they could speak freely about caucus discussions.
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Before the caucus meeting began, media were invited into the room to hear Mr. Carney address his team ahead of Parliament’s return on Monday.
He pledged the government will move with “urgency and determination” to implement the mandate given by voters: transform the Canadian economy, make communities safer and make life more affordable.
He said the government intends to quickly introduce legislation to cut personal income taxes, the GST on housing, and a bill to fast track what he called “projects of national interest,” without elaborating on what those were.
“In every one of our actions, we will be guided by a new fiscal discipline,” he said, speaking in French.
“Our government will spend less so that Canadians can invest more, and we will fight to ensure that Canada gets the best possible deal with the United States.”
The House of Commons last met in December, rising for Christmas break in the midst of deep internal strife for the Liberals and broader uncertainty for Canada as newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the country into a trade war.
Former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland quit, saying then-prime minister Justin Trudeau wasn’t taking the Trump threat seriously enough.
Though MPs had tried in fits and starts to put pressure on Mr. Trudeau to leave, Ms. Freeland’s move markedly increased that pressure, and he ultimately quit in January, proroguing Parliament to allow his party to elect a new leader.
After Mr. Carney won leadership and was sworn-in as prime minister, he embarked on his first international trip – including a stop in Britain, where he first floated the idea to King Charles III that he come read the Throne Speech to open Parliament after the next election.
Just days after that trip, Mr. Carney asked the Governor-General to dissolve Parliament and call an election.
The King arrives in Ottawa on Monday and will deliver that speech on Tuesday.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre shakes hands with MP Gérard Deltell as he greets members of his caucus on Parliament Hill on May 25.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
After the election, the Liberals saw their seat count jump in part owing to the collapse of support for the NDP. The Conservatives – who had been leading in the polls for nearly two years – were kept in Opposition, albeit with a larger caucus. But, leader Pierre Poilievre lost his own seat.
Conservative MPs voted in favour of the Reform Act at their first meeting earlier this month. In 2022, they used the law to remove leader Erin O’Toole, and Mr. Poilievre was elected in his place.
He promised Sunday his party will continue to hold Mr. Carney’s Liberals to account, but also signalled a willingness to work with them, citing in particular the need to get a deal to end the trade war with the U.S. and speed up natural resource development.
“When we expose Liberal failures, when we argue about policies, we don’t do it just to hold the government to account,” he said.
“We do it because we want things to get better. When we act as a government in waiting, we do it to provide the hope that things can and will get better in a future Conservative government.”
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Until Mr. Poilievre wins a seat, the Conservatives will be led in the House of Commons by former party leader Andrew Scheer.
The first order of business for MPs on Monday will be to elect a new Speaker.
MPs running for the position include Speaker Greg Fergus, Deputy Speaker Chris d’Entremont and former assistant deputy speaker Alexandra Mendès.
As well, Liberal MPs Sean Casey, Robert Oliphant, Sherry Romanado and Francis Scarpaleggia are vying for the position, as is Conservative MP John Nater.
The Liberals currently hold 169 seats in the House of Commons to the Conservatives 144. The Bloc Quebecois has 22 seats, the NDP has seven and the Green Party holds one.
