Quebec Liberal MP Alexandra Mendes has revealed that a significant number of her constituents believe it’s time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down after almost nine years in office.
Mendes shared this feedback during an interview with Radio-Canada, CBC’s French-language service, while attending the Liberal caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C.
According to Mendes, she heard from “dozens and dozens” of constituents over the summer who feel Trudeau is no longer the right leader for the Liberal Party. “My constituents are very adamant the prime minister needs to go,” she said.
Although Mendes personally supports Trudeau staying on as prime minister, she emphasized that her constituents do not share this view. “I didn’t hear it from two or three people. I heard it from dozens and dozens of people. He’s no longer the right leader,” she added.
Mendes is one of the few Liberal MPs willing to speak out publicly about dissatisfaction with Trudeau’s leadership. When asked if the party would be better off with a new leader, Mendes replied, “Yes, that’s what I would deduce from all the comments that I heard.” She clarified that the issue isn’t with the Liberal Party itself, but rather with Trudeau’s leadership.
While Mendes expressed disappointment that Trudeau isn’t receiving the credit she believes he deserves for his achievements, she acknowledged the importance of listening to her constituents.
“It saddens me that the prime minister isn’t being given the credit he deserves for the many, many wonderful things he did, or very good transformative things he did for Canada,” Mendes said.
“But, on the other hand, if I listen to my constituents, which is supposedly what we’re meant to do, yes, I have to say we would have to change leadership.”
Mendes plans to bring her constituents’ concerns directly to Trudeau during the upcoming Liberal caucus meeting—the first in several months. Some MPs had called for an earlier meeting, but the party’s caucus chair, Brenda Shanahan, cited “scheduling logistics” as the reason for the delay.
The party has faced a challenging summer, including a loss in the Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection, a riding the Liberals had held for over 30 years. Some voters in that byelection saw the result as a referendum on Trudeau.
Additionally, the Liberal Party’s national campaign director resigned last week, and the NDP ended the supply-and-confidence agreement that had kept the Liberal government in power for the past two years.
The Liberals are also preparing for a tough battle in the upcoming byelection in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, a previously safe Liberal riding in Montreal, on September 16. The party is not expected to be competitive in another byelection that same day in the Winnipeg-area riding of Elmwood-Transcona.
Mendes stressed that the party needs to improve its communication efforts, as many Canadians are unaware of the government’s accomplishments over the past nine years.
Despite recent fundraising emails highlighting successes like the Canada Child Benefit, reduced daycare fees, and ongoing efforts to establish national pharma care and dental care programs, the Liberals have not launched a national advertising campaign similar to the one currently being run by the Conservatives.
As the Liberal caucus prepares to meet, Mendes and other MPs are expected to raise these concerns with Trudeau, reflecting growing unease within the party about its leadership and future direction.
