Can Justin Trudeau’s Liberals Hang On?

It's Political with Althia Raj

Parliament is back with a bang!

In a slick social media video, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced he couldn’t stomach working with the minority Liberals anymore and he was shifting his focus to the next election and taking the fight to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. That was music to the ears of Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet who’s been sidelined for most of the Liberals’ third mandate.With Singh walking away, Blanchet would be able to put the squeeze on the Liberals and try to extract as much as he could for Quebecers — and for his own party.The new chess moves didn’t phase Poilievre who's tried to tie both the NDP and the Bloc to the unpopular Grits. In a news conference this week, Poilievre said he would move a non-confidence vote at the earliest opportunity and dared the other opposition parties to say how they would vote ahead of two crucial by-elections Monday. Those races could help determine whether the NDP has any momentum and whether Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s brand is as toxic as Liberal MPs report hearing it is.This week, at the party’s national caucus meetings in Nanaimo, there was a show of unity behind closed doors but not in public… Interesting times.

This week on “It’s Political,” we’ll hear from the lone MP still calling for Justin Trudeau to go. New Brunswick’s Wayne Long is voicing what most of his colleagues say behind closed doors.

We’ll hear from Vancouver Island residents on their prime minister’s decision to stay and what they think of the Liberal government’s record so far.

Of course, we’ll also hear from some Liberal MPs on this — and on the Grits’ new economic advisor, likely Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney.

Then, we’ll unpack it all with Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau chief Tonda MacCharles, Toronto Star Ottawa reporter Alex Ballingall, and former Liberal pollster Dan Arnold, the chief strategy officer at Pollara.

In this episode: Saint John—Rothesay MP Wayne Long, Brossard—Saint-Lambert MP Alexandra Mandès, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell MP Francis Drouin, Kings—Hants MP Kody Blois, Brampton North MP Ruby Sahota, Vancouver Island residents Baz Baz, Montah McGee and David Smith, and Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau chief Tonda MacCharles, Toronto Star Ottawa reporter Alex Ballingall, former Liberal pollster Dan Arnold, the chief strategy officer at Pollara. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CBC, and CTV.

This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton. Matt Hearn is our sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.