Top Trudeau campaigner quits day after NDP cans confidence deal
A longstanding ally of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has jumped ship just one day after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh canned his confidence deal.
Jeremy Broadhurst, national campaign director for the Liberal Party of Canada, cited the toll five elections has had on him and his family.
In a statement on his decision to resign, which was first reported by the Toronto Star, Broadhurst says the upcoming federal election deserves a campaign director who is devoted to the job.
The next election, scheduled for October 2024, may happen earlier than expected with the Liberal-NDP confidence-and-supply agreement no longer in place.
Broadhurst clarified that while he remains “committed” to the Liberal Party brand and to Trudeau, it is “time to make way for others.” He has served as chief of staff or adviser to several leaders and cabinet ministers during his 25-year tenure as a party staffer.
He helped reorganize the party prior to their 2015 election victory and was soon promoted to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). He served as campaign director in 2019 and 2023.
After "ripping up" the supply-and-confidence agreement that helps keep PM Trudeau's Liberal government in power, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says when the next election comes, it will be a choice between Singh's NDP or Poilievre's Conservatives.https://t.co/Nk1RiFZm4H pic.twitter.com/NCVXltIcuq
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 5, 2024
With the NDP no longer beholden to support every piece of legislation tabled by the Trudeau government, it remains unclear whether a confidence vote will pass after the summer recess.
Singh pulled his agreement Wednesday after calling the Liberals “too beholden to corporate interests” to actually serve Canadians.
Singh threatened to dissolve Parliament August 22 after cabinet forced binding arbitration on 9,300 striking workers to end a 17-hour rail work stoppage. “Whether it’s a confidence motion or not, I don’t care,” he said at the time.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters he is “focused” on delivering for Canadians after the NDP ripped up its supply-and-confidence deal with his government.
“I am not focused on politics,” he said. “I'll let other parties focus on politics.”
“Liberals are too weak, too selfish,” Singh reiterated in a videotaped announcement.
Jagmeet Singh won't commit to supporting a non-confidence motion if put forward by Poilievre's Conservatives.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) September 5, 2024
"We are ready to fight an election whenever that happens." https://t.co/vD78U4ZuZQ pic.twitter.com/CJzmEq5uEg
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre joined the drama, calling the NDP announcement a ploy. “Sellout Singh has pulled a stunt,” he said, claiming the NDP leader has not kept his promise to make Canadians’ lives more affordable.
Poilievre challenged New Democrats to dissolve Parliament on a Conservative confidence vote once the House of Commons reconvenes on September 16. “That way we can have a carbon tax election where Canadians will decide,” he said.
In an apparent swipe at the Conservatives, and to save face for his abrupt departure, Broadhurst said Canadians must decide whether to elect a party committed to “fairness, equality, justice and progress” or an agenda that is “little more than simple slogans and cheap shots.”
He added that Canadians must also decide, “before it is too late,” if they will embrace “a brand of politics that stokes fears and seeks to divide us” or otherwise.
As of writing, the governing Liberals trail the Conservatives in polls by double-digits, a trend that has continued for almost a year.
A recent Leger poll found the Tories (43%) and Liberals (25%) each gained two percentage points over the summer, while the NDP fell five points.
Alex Dhaliwal
Journalist and Writer
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.