Canada’s governing Liberal Party rejected adopting rules Sunday that would allow lawmakers to force out party leaders through formal votes. The decision came during the party’s first caucus meeting since Mark Carney became prime minister in March, replacing Justin Trudeau.
Under Canada’s Reform Act, parliamentary caucuses can establish procedures for leadership challenges. The 2014 legislation requires 20% of caucus members to trigger a review, followed by a majority vote to remove a leader.
James Maloney, the party’s newly chosen caucus chair, announced the rejection but refused to elaborate on internal discussions. The vote carries particular significance given recent tensions within Liberal ranks. Many party lawmakers had pressed Trudeau to step down for months before he announced his January resignation.
Michael Chong, the Conservative lawmaker who authored the Reform Act, designed it to strengthen parliamentary democracy by reducing excessive party discipline.
Since 2014, no Liberal caucus has adopted the provisions, while some Conservative and New Democratic Party caucuses have embraced them. The Conservative Party successfully used the mechanism in 2022 to remove Erin O’Toole as leader following poor electoral performance and internal dissent.
Carney, a former central banker who had never held elected office before becoming prime minister, won a seat in Parliament during April’s federal election. His party secured a minority government despite trailing badly in polls under Trudeau’s leadership.
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