Another prominent Liberal MP has withdrawn from seeking re-election, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau struggles to maintain the cohesion of his caucus.
Toronto MP and former immigration and public safety minister Marco Mendicino announced on Thursday that he will not seek re-election, marking the end of his three-term tenure as the Liberal representative for Eglinton–Lawrence.
In a letter shared to X, Mendicino said he would serve the remainder of his term.
“However, as much as I love the job, this is the right decision, at the right time, for me and my family,” he wrote.
While Mendicino made no mention of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his letter, he did cite not seeing eye to eye with the Liberal Party’s current direction.
“It is no secret that I have disagreed with the current direction of the federal government on our foreign policy vis-à-vis our deteriorated relations with the State of Israel, our inadequate handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and our enfeebled role in the Middle East,” said Mendicino. “In political parties, there must be room for different views. As a matter of principle, I have been consistently outspoken in my condemnation of the unjust targeting of the Jewish community, which is facing a tidal wave of antisemitism. In the fight against hate, I will always show up.”
He added that during the remainder of his tenure, he hopes to focus on good public policy that addresses national security and the border.
Mendicino thanked community leaders who approached him and offered their support. He said they told him he should continue to be a leader for the city of Toronto – a city he said has been “paralyzed by gridlock, in need of more support for law enforcement, and stalled for progress.”
Mendicino’s announcement follows former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s surprise resignation.
The resignation served as the catalyst for a growing list of Liberal MPs calling for Trudeau’s resignation.
Quebec’s Liberal caucus hinted that they may join the Ontario and Atlantic Liberal caucuses in publicly calling for the prime minister to resign.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said that the “vast majority” of Liberal MPs want to see Trudeau’s immediate resignation.
Mendicino took office the same year as Trudeau in 2015. He was re-elected in 2019 and named Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship.
He was again re-elected in the 2021 federal election and was subsequently appointed Minister of Public Safety.
Mendicino oversaw the invocation of the Emergencies Act in 2022 in response to the Freedom Convoy. After facing public backlash for invoking the Emergencies Act and transferring serial rapist and serial killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security facility, Mendicino was removed from cabinet and replaced as Public Safety Minister by Dominic LeBlanc.
