The (Almost) Liberal Political Mutiny

The Tories used it to show the door to former leader Erin O’Toole

It looked like Liberal Members of Parliament were ostensibly united in a common goal: some modern liberals finally understand that neither they nor the public can stomach another Justin Trudeau in office.

Liberal lawmakers gathered to bolster their power to remove Mark Carney from the party’s leadership role. Said another way – how do we get rid of Mark Carney if he becomes an embarrassment or worse? Were the MPs anticipating a future mutiny? Essentially, they were to adopt measures found within Canada’s Reform Act, a piece of legislation introduced by Conservative MP Michael Chong.

The Tories used it to show the door to former leader Erin O’Toole. But since the Conservative Party had previously employed the initiative, the Liberals (in their juvenile way) refrained from utilizing it when Trudeau ravaged the Canadian economy, decimated household finances and set the country back a decade. But after having lived through Trudeau's debacle, it looked like they were shoring up the means to oust their new leader just in case the worst (which is likely) happens.

Quebec Liberal MP Sophie Chatel told Politico that this is “a powerful symbolic gesture” and “a renewed commitment to strengthening the relationship with caucus.” Carney, for his part, acknowledged the vote, telling reporters with the vapid comment – he “observed that this will happen.”

Put simply, the Liberals were not actively seeking to oust Carney – right now. But they appeared to want to have the option to remove the prime minister in the future should a difficult politic arise, and the party’s polling numbers start to tank – again.

But being the cowards, they are -- none of that happened. After a secret ballot (for fear of reprisals) the Liberal MPs caved to internal pressure – they rejected adopting the formal process to eject their leader should the need arise.

Almost every housing market in Canada has spiraled out of control

They and the good people of Canada are now stuck with Mark Carney for as long as he maintains the confidence of the majority in the House of Commons – a daunting prospect for Canadians.

On the other hand, considering what members of Carney’s party have said since the election, he might want to think about distancing himself from some of his Liberal “friends.”

Let's face reality: The prime minister won the 2025 election for two reasons: older voters have a (and this is a euphemism) distaste for Donald Trump, and Carney deceived them into believing that he would institute the changes necessary for Canada to right itself. But within days of becoming Prime Minister, some Liberal MPs made Carney look foolish – not in control.

The new prime minister had committed to making the country an “energy superpower.” One strategy proposed was constructing a pipeline that actually should have been completed over the last decade. The political reality, however, is that Carney was caving to Alberta’s demands.

Yet, Culture Minister Steven Guilbeault appeared to contradict his prime minister. Speaking to reporters, the former environment minister seemed to undermine the new pipeline proposal, citing official data about peak oil demand. “So, I think before we start talking about building an entire new pipeline, maybe we should maximize the use of existing infrastructure,” Guilbeault told the press. “And, the Canadian Energy Regulator, as well as the International Energy Agency, are telling us that probably by 2028-2029, demand for oil will peak globally, and it will also peak in Canada.”

Carney has also promised to make affordable housing one of his top economic priorities. The Canadian real estate market is one of the most expensive in globally, with the average price roughly $716,000.

Almost every housing market in Canada has spiraled out of control, leaving millions of Canadians unable to achieve the dream of homeownership.

Liberal Party should have been honest with the public about their plight during the campaign

Economists generally agree that home prices need to fall to enable middle-class households and young families to accomplish what Baby Boomers did decades ago. Yet, Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson says he thinks housing prices do not need to come down to restore housing affordability:

“I think that we need to deliver more supply, make sure the market is stable,” the former Vancouver mayor told the media. “It’s a huge part of our economy, but we need to be able to deliver more affordable housing.” He then later reiterated his views on social media, finally admitting the truth about what he really meant: “The question I answered was about reducing the price of a family’s current home, which for most Canadians, is their most valuable asset.”

The Canadian real estate market represents a large portion of the national economy and household wealth. From 2017 to 2021, the investment in dwellings as a percentage of total gross fixed capital formation was more than 40 per cent, larger than in other G7 nations.

But the truth is that many senior Canadians are relying on their home’s value to fund their retirement. It seems to this writer, that if this is the dark reality in Canada, the Liberal Party should have been honest with the public about their plight during the campaign. They should have informed the next generation that home ownership for them is probably not in the cards. And given the thinking by the elite in Canadian politics, this will be the case for years to come.

It seems that while the “captain" of the ship-of-state was abroad, his “trusted seamen” were planning a future mutiny. Suffice it to say, the prime minister was not expecting that or the remarks from his “crew” while he was in Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass. So, welcome back to political reality, captain – Trudeau's disaster awaits you.