Manitoba’s four Liberal members of Parliament had mixed emotions after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation Monday, with none ready to publicly declare their support for a potential replacement as party leader.
The group, including Winnipeg South Centre MP Ben Carr, the province’s only government MP to publicly call on Trudeau to step down, hailed the three-term prime minister as preparations for a leadership contest and a federal election later this year began to ramp up.
“The first thing I was thinking — and that I’m still feeling — is an enormous amount of respect for him and gratitude toward him,” Carr told the Free Press after watching Trudeau’s televised announcement.
Liberal Member of Parliament Ben Carr still has an enormous amount of respect for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Carr said his decision to call for Trudeau’s resignation in a letter last Friday was “incredibly difficult,” but he felt it was the right one, following conversations with constituents, supporters, friends and mentors.
“I wrestled with it for a long time,” he said. “It brought no satisfaction.”
While those conversations elicited continued support for progressive policies and values, they also raised feelings of fatigue and alienation from Liberal leadership, Carr said.
He concluded change was necessary for the party to be in the best position to face Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in the next election. Opinion polls suggest the Tories hold a wide lead in Manitoba.
Carr, who spoke to media for the first time since his resignation call, said the majority of feedback from his constituents was supportive. He has not had any contact with the prime minister.
Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoureux, the longest-serving of Manitoba’s sitting Liberal MPs, preached a message of party unity after Trudeau resigned.
Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux believes party members need to come together and stand behind the next leader of the Liberal Party.
“We have to come together and get behind (the next) leader,” said Lamoureux, who was first elected in 2010.
Lamoureux, who acknowledged there was a “mood for change” within the party, got his election signs ready a couple months ago. He is designing campaign literature ahead of the next election, which must be held on or before Oct. 20.
“We’re full steam ahead,” he said.
Lamoureux, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital MP Dan Vandal — who is not seeking re-election — and Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid, who Trudeau appointed sports minister last month, described the resignation as a “sad” day for Canada.
Saint Boniface—Saint Vital MP Dan Vandal calls Trudeau’s resignation a ‘sad’ day for Canada.
“I think history will look very positive on Justin Trudeau and all the initiatives we accomplished,” Vandal said. “It’s been a great run. It’s a sad day, but a new beginning.”
Manitoba’s Liberal MPs cited Trudeau’s initiatives to help middle-class Canadians, improve health care, foster reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and combat climate change as some of his accomplishments.
Duguid said Trudeau led Canada through the “worst health and economic crisis” — the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some decisions, such as the carbon tax, weren’t so popular, Lamoureux noted.
“He’s a very proud, family oriented, strong Canadian who has progressive values,” Lamoureux said. “He has made a significant difference. He’s done so much for Canada.”
Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid expects the Liberal leadership race will bring renewal and excitement to the party.
Looking forward, the MPs expect a robust process to select a new Liberal leader. Duguid expects the contest to bring renewal and excitement to the party.
The MPs supported Trudeau’s decision to prorogue Parliament until March 24. The decision came amid the threat of a confidence vote in the House of Commons.
“We’re doing it because we’re in transition,” Vandal said.
Carr said a “reset” is needed, following filibustering by the Conservatives.
Duguid, who is also running again, is not in favour of an early election.
“There will be a throne speech to introduce a new session, and it is certainly my hope we can find some common ground with other parties… to continue working on the priorities of Canadians,” he said.
There are “big challenges” on the horizon, including U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs, Duguid noted.
NDP MP Niki Ashton said the Liberals’ decision to prorogue Parliament prevents MPs from other parties from holding the government to account.
“It was pretty clear to me Justin Trudeau had to go,” said Ashton (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski). “Fundamentally, it’s time for this Liberal government to go.”
She said she expects an election before October, and expressed concerns about the potential for a Poilievre government.
“Manitobans know Conservatives are very good at cutting,” she said.
Ashton defended her party’s supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals. She said it was built on “deliverables,” and the NDP delivered on policies such as pharmacare legislation and a national dental-care program.
The Conservatives did not make any of their seven Manitoba MPs available for an interview. A party spokesman referred the Free Press to a statement from Poilievre.
Premier Wab Kinew said that he and the province are looking forward to working with the next prime minister.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew thanked Trudeau for his service and sacrifices, including time lost with family.
Kinew said the pair still have work to do on Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S. before Trudeau steps down.
“Of course, we will be prepared to work with whoever is next. That is, of course, a comment about who the next leader of this current government is, but also we know that a federal election is coming up,” Kinew told reporters.
“Who Canadians choose to select as your next prime minister, we will be happy to work with them on behalf of you, the great people of Manitoba.”
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham thanked Trudeau and said he looks forward to working with the next prime minister.
“No matter who the prime minister of Canada is, the priorities for Winnipeg will be the same,” Gillingham said. “The priorities we have in the City of Winnipeg, I believe, are and remain, priorities for the federal government, as well.”
Gillingham cited housing, crime reduction and the North End sewage treatment plant upgrade as his primary concerns.
Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand thanked Trudeau for his leadership and work on reconciliation.
Manitoba Métis Federation president David Chartrand thanked Trudeau for his leadership and contributions to reconciliation.
In November, the federal government and MMF signed a new treaty that recognizes the MMF as the government for the Red River Métis.
“Clearly, Justin Trudeau has been the most visionary Canadian prime minister we have ever experienced, in terms of reconciliation,” Chartrand said in a statement.
Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor in political studies at the University of Manitoba, pointed to a recent Free Press-Probe Research poll that put Poilievre 33 percentage points ahead of Trudeau.
The poll suggested some Liberal seats in Winnipeg could be at risk of turning blue in the next election.
“They’ll hope this leadership contest will rejuvenate the party,” Adams said of Manitoba’s Liberal MPs.
He said the Liberals will be ramping up local election campaign “machines” in the wake of Trudeau’s announcement, but it will be a challenge to energize them when support is low in the polls.
— With files from Tyler Searle
chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca
Chris Kitching
Reporter
Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.
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