Liberal caucus hears from new national campaign director

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OTTAWA — After a turbulent few weeks, many Liberals are hoping to put the caucus dissent to rest after a presentation from the man leading them into the next election.

Andrew Bevan, who was appointed earlier this month as the Liberal Party of Canada’s national campaign director after Jeremy Broadhurst’s sudden departure, offered a glimpse of the party’s strategy in his presentation to the Liberal caucus meeting on Wednesday.

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Toronto Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said the caucus meeting was mostly about next steps about the plan for a future campaign and turning Liberal poll numbers around.

“The overwhelming focus is what comes next. How do we make sure we’re putting our best foot forward on the campaign front,” he said.

Erskine-Smith said MPs received information about recent fundraising numbers, which he said were encouraging, while adding that the Liberals need to catch up with the Conservatives on advertisements.

“When you look at the outsized spending on advertisements between the Conservative party and the Liberal party, we have to close that gap.”

A Liberal MP in the room, who spoke to the National Post on background because they were not authorized to discuss those matters publicly, said Bevan offered a presentation driven by data and took a respectful and thoughtful tone with caucus members.

The MP said they felt “quite encouraged” by the presentation and said Bevan seemed to be a team player, even offering his cell phone number to MPs to speak with them directly.

“It was a good conversation, to be frank.”

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Overall, cabinet ministers and MPs left the caucus meeting in good spirits — with some suggesting that the divisions inside the Liberal caucus were over and done with.

Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne insisted that “the page is turned,” while Ottawa MP Mona Fortier said she was “very happy” and the caucus went “very well.”

Government House leader Karina Gould insisted the caucus is united with a solitary goal.

“What I can say is that our caucus is extremely united. We have one goal and that is to ensure that Pierre Poilievre does not become prime minister,” she said.

What was not discussed in caucus, according to several MPs, was the secret ballot on Trudeau’s leadership, with at least one of them saying it was not even brought up.

The mechanism to hold a leadership vote does not exist under current rules for either the caucus or the party.

Toronto MP Yvan Baker, who is among a growing number of MPs who have been calling for a secret ballot, said Wednesday “the ball is in the prime minister’s court” on this matter.

“I think now it’s up to the prime minister to decide. I think that would be the best way to move forward and I think the question should be asked of the prime minister if he supports a secret ballot and if not, why not?”

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B.C. MP Patrick Weiler, who read the letter in caucus last week demanding Trudeau’s resignation, said the issue is not going away.

“Really, it’s kind of up to the prime minister at this point to send his court to determine why there shouldn’t be a secret ballot,” he said.

“Until, until we hear that, there’s going to be those questions that are out there.”

But many Liberal MPs rejected the need for a secret ballot and suggested there are not as many concerned with the prime minister’s leadership as reports would suggest.

“You know what, I’ve been through five leaders, this is my fifth leader. Most of the time they’re unpopular, but we still manage to win,” said Toronto MP Judy Sgro.

Ontario MP Adam van Koeverden also minimized the dissent, saying they are a “small number” but “it continues to be an issue because it’s a fun and exciting headline.”

Health Minister Mark Holland, who has been an MP since 2004, said there have been divisions in the Liberal caucus in the past and the current divisions are minor in comparison, with everyone focused on beating Pierre Poilievre.

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“We unfortunately don’t seem to have the ability to keep our caucus discussions internal. I can assure you that every party has its differences. Every party is talking about them. We just happen to talk about them openly.”

Immigration Minister Marc Miller said he doesn’t see a need for a secret ballot when MPs have committed to public life.

“We stand up in the House of Commons in public. We show our faces, we put our faces on posters every four years,” he said.

“We do absolutely everything in public and the caucus is a space for things to be done in private, but for people to actually show their faces and say exactly what they mean and want the prime minister to do, and that’s what they’re doing.”

Ultimately, Miller said the Liberals need to turn a page.

“This can’t remain a trickle. It needs to end.”

National Post
calevesque@postmedia.com

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