The sources stressed that they don’t know definitely when Mr. Trudeau will announce his plans to leave but said they expect it will happen before a key national caucus meeting on Wednesday. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources because they were not authorized to discuss internal party matters.
One of the sources, who spoke recently to the Prime Minister, said Mr. Trudeau realizes he needs to make a statement before he meets the Liberal caucus so it doesn’t look like he was forced out by his own MPs.
The three sources said they are unsure about what the Liberal Party national executive plans to do to replace Mr. Trudeau as leader. They said it remains unclear whether he will leave immediately or stay on as Prime Minister until a new leader is selected. The Liberal Party national executive, which decides on leadership issues, plans to meet this week, likely after the caucus session.
On Friday, The Globe reported that Mr. Trudeau’s advisers are looking at how he can remain Prime Minister while a new Liberal leader is selected. A fourth source said on Sunday they believed that Mr. Trudeau would stay in his position until a new leader was chosen. The Globe is not naming the source, who was not authorized to discuss the private deliberations.
However, several MPs have expressed a preference for an interim leader, including Alberta Liberal George Chahal. He wrote a letter to his caucus colleagues with that request last week.
The party has two options: appoint an interim leader on the recommendation of national caucus or hold a shortened leadership contest. A leadership contest would require the Prime Minister to request that Governor-General Mary Simon prorogue Parliament, which constitutional experts say is not guaranteed.
One of the sources said that the Prime Minister discussed with Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc whether he would be willing to step in as interim leader and prime minister. But the source said that would be unworkable if Mr. LeBlanc, as expected, plans to run for the leadership.
Another source said it makes sense for Mr. Trudeau to remain Prime Minister until a leader is chosen so he can deal with Donald Trump's incoming administration and his threat of 25-per-cent tariffs.
303
