(OTTAWA) Liberal activists show unwavering loyalty to their leader, Justin Trudeau. Few are those who publicly question his firm intention to lead the Liberal troops again in the next election campaign.
Those who aspire to hold his position one day are also discreet. The main contenders – Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, Minister of Defense Anita Anand and the former governor of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney – abstain from setting in motion any organization in view of a possible leadership race.
Mr. Carney, who attends the Liberal convention, politely declined La Presse’s interview request on Friday, anticipating questions about his political ambitions. He has already supported the idea that Justin Trudeau will be at the helm of the party during the next election campaign, which will take place in the fall of 2025 at the latest.
It’s all in the order of things, says David Herle, a former close aide to former Prime Minister Paul Martin. Mr. Herle saw firsthand the painful heartbreaks that marked the years in power of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin.
“His magic helped give the party a second wind. Everyone recognizes that. Also, there is no obvious successor at the moment, unlike what we have seen in the past. There is no one who thinks we could do better during an election campaign with another leader, quite the contrary,” Mr. Herle added in an interview with La Presse.
Liberal activists interviewed Thursday, hours before Justin Trudeau delivered his evening speech, echoed Herle’s analysis.
They are convinced that Justin Trudeau is the perfect person to prevent the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, from taking power.
“Yes, he’s the man for the job,” said Jean Charbonneau, a member of the Ahunstic-Cartierville riding Liberal association owned by Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, without hesitation. “When you compare him to the alternatives, he’s the better leader. He will stay as long as he wants and I assume he will have a plan for his succession, ”added Mr. Charbonneau.
Mustafa Zuberi, who is president of the Young Liberals at the University of Guelph in Ontario, said Justin Trudeau embodied ideas that young people hold dear.
Alongside Justin Trudeau as soon as he arrived in federal politics, Louis-Alexandre Lanthier, an activist from the Quebec City region who settled in Ottawa, wore the scarf of the 2012 leadership race, which was won hands down Justin Trudeau arriving at the Liberal convention. “He still has a vision for the future. The COVID-19 pandemic has given him the chance to prove what he can do. But at the same time, it kept him from finishing what he started. He still has things he wants to do,” he commented.
For his part, Gregory Liverpool, an activist from the Winnipeg area, is one of the few to wonder about the future of his leader. “I’m torn right now. I will listen to his speech tonight [Thursday]. He has to deliver a good speech tonight. And I’ll see later,” he said.
During the convention, the Liberals will debate about thirty resolutions. Liberal activists in Quebec will try to pass a resolution asking the Liberal Party to present a precise and quantified plan for a return to balanced budgets that would be included in the party’s electoral platform.
Justin Trudeau will miss part of the deliberations. He is due to leave the country late Friday afternoon to attend the coronation ceremony of King Charles III. The convention ends on Saturday evening.
