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Labour minister stands with Trudeau, calls him "a fighter and a winner"

Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk and Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon, speak to the media on the Windsor side of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. October 25, 2024.
Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk and Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon, speak to the media on the Windsor side of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. October 25, 2024.

The federal labour minister says he stands behind the prime minister, calling him "a fighter and a winner."

Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon, made the comment Friday in Windsor following a tour of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

MacKinnon, who was joined by Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk, was asked if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should resign as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.

MacKinnon says everything Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre stands for is what they're fighting against.

"In terms of our boss, Mr. Trudeau, we stand behind him. This guy's a fighter. He's a winner," he says.

Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk views the Gordie Howe International Bridge from the Windsor side next to Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon. October 25, 2024.
Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk views the Gordie Howe International Bridge from the Windsor side next to Minister of Labour, Steven MacKinnon. October 25, 2024.
About two dozen M-Ps delivered a letter to Trudeau calling for him to step down amid concerns about his rapidly falling popularity and how it would affect the Liberal government's chances during the next election, giving him a deadline of Oct. 28.

MacKinnon says Poilievre stands for right to work, Alabama, Mississippi type labour laws.

The Conservative Party of Canada policy book supports right-to-work legislation to allow optional union membership, including student unions. In Canada, workers who work in unionized workplaces must join the union and pay full dues.

Minister MacKinnon says one thing they have to do better at is making Canadians aware of the choice.

"These are extremely polarized competing visions that we have for the country. What is Mr. Poilievre saying? He's saying remove the federal government from supporting housing. He's voted against things like dental care and pharmacare and supports Canadians have come to rely on," he says.

After the nearly three-hour caucus meeting on Wednesday, Trudeau promised to reflect on what the M-Ps said.

Still, he has remained defiant about quitting and insists he will lead the party through to the next election.

The Liberals have watched their polling numbers slump and then plummet since Pierre Poilievre took over as Conservative leader two years ago, with recent polls suggesting the Liberals stand to lose more than half their current seats if an election was held today.

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