Media reports citing insider sources indicate that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not attend this year’s Calgary Stampede.
Trudeau has attended the Stampede every year since 2013, when he was elected as the leader of the Liberal party, except for a brief reprieve during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
The 2024 Stampede will take place between Jul. 5th and 14th.
The news of Trudeau planning to miss the Stampede was first reported by the Globe and Mail and follows the Liberal Party’s devastating byelection loss in the Toronto—St. Paul’s riding, a former Liberal stronghold held by the party since 1993.
The loss was followed by a Liberal MP writing a letter calling for Trudeau’s resignation.
“For the future of our party and for the good of our country we need new leadership and a new direction. The voters have spoken loud and clear they want change. I agree,” said New Brunswick MP Wayne Long.
While Long was the first Liberal caucus member to publicly call for Trudeau’s resignation, several former Liberal MPs and ministers have made similar calls.
Former B.C. premier Christy Clark also called for Trudeau’s resignation.
“I think the leader needs to be replaced,” she said. “I think it’s time for him to move on to other, fairer pastures.”
Political insiders joined the chorus calling for Trudeau’s resignation, saying he must reverse course or resign.
On top of the calls for resignation, some Liberal MPs have called for a national in-person caucus meeting to discuss the byelection loss and the party’s future. Nine MPs sent a letter requesting a meeting to national caucus chair Brenda Shanahan, according to The Hill Times. George Chahal was among the nine MPs; the rest remain unidentified.
“We, the undersigned, would like to add our voices to those who have called for an immediate, in-person national caucus meeting in Ottawa to discuss the extremely concerning results in the Toronto—St. Paul’s byelection,” reads the letter.
Some Liberal MPs have threatened not to run in the next election if Trudeau refuses to resign.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is similarly expected to miss the Calgary Stampede this year.
Unlike his NDP and Liberal counterparts, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will be attending the Calgary Stampede. He will be hosting a sold-out barbecue on July 6, with participants paying $50 to cover the cost of the meal.
$50 seems a small price to pay compared to Trudeau’s $1,725-a-plate fundraiser where he discussed how to make “life more affordable.”
Sebastian Skamski, a spokesperson for Poilievre, told True North that Trudeau should call a carbon tax election instead of hiding from Canadians.
“Having just been rejected in one of the safest Liberal ridings in downtown Toronto, it’s hard to imagine that Canadians will miss Justin Trudeau all too much at Stampede,” said Skamski. “This news must come as welcome relief for Liberal-NDP MPs from Alberta who would prefer Justin Trudeau stay in hiding from Canadians.”
Trudeau and Singh’s offices did not respond to True North’s requests for comment.
