Former New Brunswick Liberal premier Frank McKenna says if he were in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s shoes, at this point in the government’s mandate, he would step down.
“If it were me, I would,” McKenna told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, in an interview airing Sunday.
“I would be leaving, simply because, 10 years, I think, is a natural life expectancy of every commodity we have, from a watch to a phone, even to a political term,” he added. “And we’re watching now incumbency become a major factor in elections in B.C. and New Brunswick, the United Kingdom and France and Germany.”
McKenna was premier of New Brunswick from 1987 to 1997 and served as Canada’s ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2006.
More than two dozen Liberal MPs told the prime minister they wanted him to step aside during a lengthy caucus meeting on Wednesday. Sources inside the room told CTV News the prime minister concluded the meeting by telling MPs he would reflect on their concerns.
Just 18 hours later, Trudeau told reporters he would lead the party into the next election.
“I really respect what MPs are going through,” McKenna said. “It’s really turmoil between self preservation and loyalty.”
McKenna went on to describe what he sees as the push and pull between the two sentiments.
“They’re watching the cognitive dissonance that they’re experiencing,” he said. “It just tells us that these are just good people trying to find their way through a very difficult situation.”
McKenna also told Kapelos he thinks Trudeau’s legacy would be intact if he were to leave now.
“If he were to leave, like (former prime minister Brian) Mulroney, I think there would be a lot of praise for the record that he accumulated while he was in office, and I think history would be very kind to him,” he said.
“If things continue the way they are, it’s going to be a bit messy,” he added.
McKenna appeared alongside former U.S. ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman on CTV’s Question Period to discuss the impact of the presidential election on U.S.-Canada relations.