Trudeau shows no sign of leaving after his byelection defeat

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Justin Trudeau stood in front of the cameras on Tuesday and said the result of the byelection in Toronto-St. Paul’s result was not the result he wanted. Given that he lost an election that was safely in Liberal hands, that would be the political understatement of the year.

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A loss on Monday — or early Tuesday morning, given how long the count took — is a catastrophic event for the Liberals, whether Trudeau wants to admit it or not. Given his statement, it’s clear he didn’t do that.

“These are not easy times. It is clear that my entire Liberal team and I have a lot of work to do to achieve tangible, real progress that Canadians across the country can see and feel,” Trudeau said.

“My focus is on your success, and that is where it will stay.”

After losing St. Paul and given the state of the Liberals’ national and provincial polls, Trudeau may want to focus on his success, not ours.

The Prime Minister did not take any questions on Tuesday while making his statement and participating in a government announcement, but departing from usual protocol, he did not interact with the media. The task of answering questions about the byelection fell to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who was present at the announcement in Toronto.

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“Yes, absolutely he can,” Freeland said when asked if Trudeau could remain in his position as leader.

“Can you explain why?” The Globe and Mail Reporter Marike Walsh asked: “Because everyone we hear behind the scenes believes that the result last (Monday) night means catastrophic losses across the country. If you can’t win in Toronto under Justin Trudeau, why would anyone think you can win anywhere else under him?

“Our government is focused on working hard for Canada and Canadians,” Freeland said.

That was the first indication that the Deputy Prime Minister was not about to give an honest answer even for a moment of reflection. She went on to say that Trudeau will lead the party in the upcoming elections and enjoy the country’s support.

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Freeland’s words and body language didn’t quite match; While her words feigned confidence in Trudeau, neither her voice nor her stance did.

Every Liberal MP in Toronto should be worried at this point. While not everyone is going to lose to the Conservatives, there is also the NDP to worry about. It is worth noting that the Conservatives won Toronto’s St. Paul’s even in the 2011 federal election, when the NDP swept much of the city’s core and the Conservatives ate away at winning several suburban seats. The Liberals held on to St. Paul’s.

If they lose to Toronto-St. For Paul, if the Conservatives get 42% of the vote in a “safe” Liberal election, what a safe seat in Toronto is for the Liberals these days.

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Any of the three Liberals running in the Etobicoke election — James Maloney, Evan Baker and Christy Duncan — should be concerned that they are now in danger of losing. In York Centre, Willowdale, Don Valley North and across Scarborough, Liberal MPs and ministers are worried.

It’s not just Toronto, the Liberals are interested in Ottawa, Kitchener, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and across Atlantic Canada.

After watching Leslie Church, a candidate with impeccable credentials and deep party roots, you’re bound to wonder who will be next. Expect a large number of candidates to decide they need to pursue other opportunities or spend more time with their families this summer.

Trudeau himself may be among them.

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I doubted Trudeau would leave. He has seemed rejuvenated since Pierre Poilievre won the Conservative leadership and is desperate to do battle with him. Trudeau also appears to have a messianic complex about saving Canada from the “cold,” “cruel,” and “little-minded” Conservatives and the plague of misinformation and disinformation.

However, when you experience a political earthquake of this magnitude, it is bound to make people think.

Trudeau will probably take some time over the summer to reflect and wonder if he should leave. My money is still on him seeing himself as the best chance to save Canada by leading the Liberals to the 2025 election.

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