Will the Liberals have a New Leader after Byelection Defeat?

Following the loss of a long-standing, firmly Liberal riding, several MPs have discussed the possibility of a new Liberal party leader.

The Liberal party has held the Toronto-St. Paul's riding since 1993, winning by 13 000 votes only three years ago in the general election. However, Conservative candidate Don Stewart narrowly won on Monday. Despite seeming to hold public opinion in polls over the past year, losing such a significant riding has brought up the possibility of a leadership change.

"A number of people are asking me to think about this, and I'm taking their request seriously," Former Liberal MP Frank Baylis said in an interview reported by CBC News. 

"This was a very, very decisive defeat, from a [previous] very strong victory," Baylis said.

"The Liberal Party isn't about one person. It's about the values it stands for and it's about improving the lives of Canadians," said Former Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada Catherine McKenna in a media statement, "The prime minister has a legacy to be proud of, but it's time for new ideas, new energy and a new leader. There's too much at stake in this election, especially on the economy and the climate."

Anonymously, a number of Liberal MPs told CBC News that the national caucus must convene as soon as feasible to talk about the consequences of the byelection. 

Dan Arnold, chief strategy officer at polling firm Pollara discussed the possibility of external events that could increase the relevancy of climate change, could improve the Liberal’s chances of re-election. 

"What the Liberals can do, I think, would be to come forward with some new policy ideas, come forward with something that maybe gets some actual debate with [Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre]," he said to CBC News.

Sources and Further Reading:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/catherine-mckenna-trudeau-liberal-1.7249166 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberals-byelection-loss-move-forward-1.7247113 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/parliament-returns-replace-trudeau-1.7098232 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/frank-baylis-liberal-leadership-replace-justin-trudeau-1.7246713