How could five potentially looming federal byelections change PM Carney's government?

追加: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]I want to thank him for his service. We never agreed on anything, but I want to thank him for his service. Anyone that serves the people, I don't care what political stripe they are. I want to wish him all the best in his new ventures.

[00:00:10]>> I've known Steven obviously for a long time now. I know he's strong convictions, you know, strong opinions on things and he had to do what he had to do. But certainly, I think we're united as a caucus.

[00:00:19]>> I think being in a diverse caucus means that we don't always agree on everything. And I've heard heated debates the entire 11 years I've been here on a multitude of topics and I think that's part of democracy.

[00:00:32]>> More reaction there to the news that prominent Quebec MP and former cabinet minister Steven Gibo will resign his seat this summer. That could now mean five federal bi-elections in play with reports as well today that block MP Simon Pierre Savé will be resigning his seat to run proincially for the party Kebequa this fall. Let's bring back the front bench to talk a little bit more about the fallout from Mr. Gibo's exit.

[00:00:54]Christy Clark, Markino, Monty Silberg, and James Moore are here. James, your initial assessment of like the net political impact of Mr. Gibo's exit.

[00:01:04]>> Um, well, I mean, I think frankly it's net positive in the sense that Prime Minister Carney has earned the right to govern. He's, you hear, and you heard it, frankly, you had the minister on the first segment of your show today where they talk about this new government, this new government. They're trying to have a breakaway from the Justin Trudeau era. It's hard to do that when you have, you know, so many cabinet ministers, whether it's Minister Champang or Jolie Leblanc and others who are carrying such heavy portfolios for the government. But I think a key portfolio on which they clearly need to turn the page and where I think there is a schism is between Prime Minister Carney and Steven Gilbo, at least the prime minister aspires to have that perception of things. So I think Minister Gibo should move on and he is and I think it's appropriate that he sees himself misaligned and I think for a lot of Canadians I think that's a refreshing thing. I don't think it's good. I I don't think it's good form, frankly, for people to be, you know, cheerleading and and taking shots at Minister Gibbon on his way out. He served. He had his opportunity to serve and make a difference in the way that he thought was meaningful. Um the impact, what it'll mean, I think, is more regionally politically sensitive within the province of Quebec than it is outside of Quebec. I think the prime minister has an opportunity now with these five bi-elections. I think there may be more beyond five, by the way. I think some other people may be asked to sort of move on or get appointed elsewhere to create more room so that Prime Minister Carney can have a clear crew of people who are loyal and identify with his brand of leadership as opposed to Justin Trudeau's. But I think it's an opportunity for the prime minister to nominate and draw people into public life who are more aligned with his worldview and less aligned with Steven Gil Bose and Justin Trudeau. And I think that's an opportunity that the prime minister should take. I think Canadians expect him to show leadership and command his government in a way and staff it with people who are aligned with him. And if Steven Gilbo is not that guy, then he's not that guy and it's time for him to move on and I wish him well.

[00:02:43]>> What message does it send to the rest of cabinet Christie or other members of caucus? Mr. Gibo in our interview last night said there are other people who are as uncomfortable as him for example with theou moving forward. We know there are there's an individual Gregor Robertson who was very adamantly against TMX. my colleague Mara Walsh at the Globe Mail tried to stop him this week to ask about the pipeline and he immediately uh his response was basically um uh there's no proponent like there's no project that's that's that's all he would say. So what message does this send to people like that who feel that way about this file?

[00:03:16]>> Well, I think it sends a message that they need to get with the program. But you know at the same time saying having said that it's absolutely true that the Liberal Party of Canada is a coalition of people. I mean, look at some of the floor crossers they've accepted recently. They haven't been long time on the Liberal program. So, it's a flexible, it's an ideologically flexible group of people. And that is the essence of really what underpins the Liberal Party. It's not an ideologically driven mandate the way that the Conservatives tend or the New Democrats tend more to be. So, they're more familiar with open tent for sure. Um, and I think that's a good thing because I think Canadians are a pretty diverse group of people. I do think I will say about uh uh Morgo is that I think he's a guy of real principle and I don't blame him for wanting to leave. Good for him.

[00:04:06]He wants to live his principles and he wants to go do it somewhere else. So, fair enough. And I think I think he made the right decision in doing that publicly without trashing the government or the rest of it. But it does leave um Mr. Carney still with a caucus that has a lot of people that are still on the Justin Trudeau environmental agenda opposing um pipelines and as you noted Gregor Robertson is the most prominent among among them uh in cabinet and I and I don't think this really solves a problem for Mr. Carney um as much as it highlights one which is there's still a lot more left to do to get some of those folks on board for the central parts of his agenda and that is absolutely resource development. It's not going to be easy.

[00:04:55]>> Monty, what do you think about that?

[00:04:57]>> Well, I think uh Christiey's right and I think activists do very poorly in parliament. Um, you know, if people come with a firm ideological stand, it indicates they're not willing to co collaborate to cooperate precisely the things that you have to do to be successful in politics. You can't just take a position and never change. And that's what he did. And as uh my my friend James Moore pointed out a couple of weeks ago, uh you know, he didn't do well. He was environment minister for a long time. Today uh according to polling the environment sits at 4% as a priority for Canadians compared to the economy at 24%. Mark Carney had his has his finger on the pulse. Uh Pierre Polyv has his finger on the pulse. Uh but Steven Gibo sadly is completely out of step. I wish him well. Uh but he really did never did belong in my mind in politics.

[00:05:52]>> Marco, I'll give you the last word. Your view of the net political impact of uh of the exit of Mr. Gibo >> obviously personally for him an important milestone and look lots will be said about Steven Gibo but no one will ever accuse him of not being committed to uh the climate agenda. It obviously became untenable and and that ultimately led to his statement earlier today. Um, I think that though what it means going forward I is is the the sort of the the very intense debate that that goes on and many of us on this panel have have lived it in caucus. uh really trying to balance uh you know principles with with pragmatism. And it leads us back to the initial uh topic that we discussed off the top uh this week which is how does Canada present that that case and how do we ensure that we are building and getting energy to market and you know those are really really uh tough debates at times. Um and I think what what Steven Gabau reminds us is that for some individuals there does come a line. Um but I think in the meanwhile uh you know we do have a big tent. You know Christiey's quite right.

[00:06:58]Uh there are some folks who've joined who may not have uh been a predictable uh floor crossers but I think that does reflect uh the sort of moment that we are in. And I think that the agenda that the prime minister's put forward is one that is uh focusing a lot of people and and really striking that balance between principles and pragmatism.

[00:07:15]>> We shall see. I'll leave it on that note. Thanks for a great discussion as always. Appreciate it. Mark Medino, Christy Clark, James Moore, and Monty Sberg are front bench.