Latest news with #leadershipReview
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Poilievre could face leadership review as early as March
The Conservative party's national council is expected to meet mid-June to determine when leader Pierre Poilievre will face a leadership review, but there's still no sign of an overarching review of the party's failure to defeat the Liberals on April 28. The election returned a Liberal minority government, and while some Conservatives privately say Prime Minister Mark Carney could govern for as long as four years, others say work on fixing their failure to defeat him must start now. Two Conservative sources told The Globe and Mail the party's executive director is proposing national council sign off on a March leadership review, which would give party members the chance to vote on whether Mr. Poilievre should remain as leader. The Globe is not identifying the sources as they were not authorized to speak publicly about internal party matters. But, Calgary MP Greg McLean, recently appointed to lead an economic growth council advising Mr. Poilievre, told the Globe he's been instructed to be ready to present his findings at a January convention. The party did not return a request for comment. Since the formation of the modern Conservative Party, one other leader has faced a leadership review: Stephen Harper. He lost the 2004 election, held shortly after he became leader. In the review, members voted overwhelmingly to let him stay, and he went on to win three elections. Opinion: In Poilievre's defeat, a familiar call for patience – and a new appreciation for second chances Neither of Mr. Harper's successors – Andrew Scheer and Erin O'Toole – made it to a leadership review. Mr. Scheer stepped down, and Mr. O'Toole was forced out by MPs. When asked by reporters Friday if he was worried about a challenge to his leadership, Mr. Poilievre said 'no.' 'We had the biggest vote count in our party's history, the biggest increase in our party's history, the biggest vote share since 1988 and we're going to continue to work to get over the finish line,' he said. Mr. Harper, Mr. Scheer and Mr. O'Toole all commissioned reviews of their election defeats. MPs and grassroots party members insist one needs to be done now too. One effort by MPs to get a former colleague to do a probe fell flat. Some rank-and-file party members are considering organizing to force a public discussion of what they see as the campaign's failings if public steps to address and correct them aren't taken soon. Specific frustrations include the target seat program, bottlenecks around decision making, outdated campaign literature and top-down control over what local candidates could do. But the biggest anger is around nominations, and people blocked from running at the last minute in favour of hand-picked candidates. Riding and campaign managers in Ontario and British Columbia told the Globe that national campaign manager Jenni Byrne must address those shortcomings, and step back from future campaigns, or they will try to band together to oust her. Opinion: The good and unnecessarily bad of Pierre Poilievre The Globe is not naming the sources so they could speak candidly about internal party affairs. The last Conservative convention was in 2023, so one was expected soon anyway. National council can call a convention with 90 days notice, which could also neutralize grassroots efforts to force changes as there wouldn't be enough time to engage formal policy or constitutional processes. Though Conservatives did win more seats, Mr. Poilievre lost his own. He's planning to run in a by-election for an Alberta riding. Those close to him say few major changes will be made to anything the party does until that election ends. Still, there are smaller steps being taken. Long-time Conservative communications professional Katy Merrifield will soon join the staff. Jeff Ballingall, a conservative strategist, is also being brought on to help with Mr. Poilievre's image and message. Mr. McLean, the MP leading Mr. Poilievre's economic council, said his group is working to keeping policy going in the right direction. 'What Canadians saw at the end of the day was the Liberals embracing Conservative policy positions,' he said. 'Part of what we're doing with this exercise is [ensuring] we do have the ability to continue that kind of process: 'Here are the Conservative policies, Mark Carney et al, can you please follow these policies? They're better for the country than what you've been putting forward so far.''
CTV News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Liberals vote against adopting rules to allow caucus to oust leader
Prime Minister Mark Carney makes remarks at a meeting of the Liberal caucus, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Sunday, May 25, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA — Liberal caucus chair James Maloney says party MPs have voted against adopting a formal process to eject their leader should the need arise. A majority of Liberal MPs voted down a motion to adopt the rules set out under the ten-year-old Reform Act. That law was designed by Conservative MP Michael Chong to embolden individual MPs to hold their party leaders to account by allowing them to force leadership reviews. But Maloney is refusing to say anything more about the vote -- and insists any discussions that happen in caucus meetings should remain private. The internal debate was prompted by Liberal MPs upset that former leader Justin Trudeau was able to stay at the helm despite numerous calls from caucus for him to step aside. It was the same method the Conservatives used to oust Erin O'Toole from the leadership after the Conservatives lost the 2021 election. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2025.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Liberal caucus to consider process for removing an unpopular party leader
OTTAWA — The Liberal caucus is gathering today on Parliament Hill for the first time since the April election to prepare for the start of Parliament — and to decide whether to adopt a process to eject a party leader unwilling to leave. The meeting follows Liberal MPs' roller-coaster experience with former leader Justin Trudeau, who rejected calls from caucus for him to step down before finally announcing his resignation a few weeks after his finance minister Chrystia Freeland quit in December. The caucus is expected to vote on whether to adopt the Reform Act for the first time, although that vote would not place Prime Minister Mark Carney in any danger any time soon. Adopting the Reform Act would give Liberal MPs a method to remove a party leader — the same method the Conservatives used to oust Erin O'Toole from the leadership after the Tories lost the 2021 election. If adopted, it would mean just a fifth of the party's MPs could move to trigger a leadership review. That would allow MPs to boot their leader if a majority of the caucus votes to do so in a secret ballot. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2025. The Canadian Press
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Liberal caucus to consider process for removing an unpopular party leader
OTTAWA — The Liberal caucus is gathering today on Parliament Hill for the first time since the April election to prepare for the start of Parliament — and to decide whether to adopt a process to eject a party leader unwilling to leave. The meeting follows Liberal MPs' roller-coaster experience with former leader Justin Trudeau, who rejected calls from caucus for him to step down before finally announcing his resignation a few weeks after his finance minister Chrystia Freeland quit in December. The caucus is expected to vote on whether to adopt the Reform Act for the first time, although that vote would not place Prime Minister Mark Carney in any danger any time soon. Adopting the Reform Act would give Liberal MPs a method to remove a party leader — the same method the Conservatives used to oust Erin O'Toole from the leadership after the Tories lost the 2021 election. If adopted, it would mean just a fifth of the party's MPs could move to trigger a leadership review. That would allow MPs to boot their leader if a majority of the caucus votes to do so in a secret ballot. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2025. The Canadian Press
CTV News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Liberal caucus to consider process for removing an unpopular party leader
Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to the media as members of his new cabinet look on following a swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi OTTAWA — The Liberal caucus is gathering today on Parliament Hill for the first time since the April election to prepare for the start of Parliament — and to decide whether to adopt a process to eject a party leader unwilling to leave. The meeting follows Liberal MPs' roller-coaster experience with former leader Justin Trudeau, who rejected calls from caucus for him to step down before finally announcing his resignation a few weeks after his finance minister Chrystia Freeland quit in December. The caucus is expected to vote on whether to adopt the Reform Act for the first time, although that vote would not place Prime Minister Mark Carney in any danger any time soon. Adopting the Reform Act would give Liberal MPs a method to remove a party leader — the same method the Conservatives used to oust Erin O'Toole from the leadership after the Tories lost the 2021 election. If adopted, it would mean just a fifth of the party's MPs could move to trigger a leadership review. That would allow MPs to boot their leader if a majority of the caucus votes to do so in a secret ballot. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2025. The Canadian Press
