Liberal national campaign director says he will step down
Embattled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his governing Liberals have taken another hit with Jeremy Broadhurst quitting as national campaign director for the party.
Broadhurst confirmed the news in a statement to Â鶹´«Ã½.
“After much consideration and discussion with my family, I have decided to step away from my role as National Campaign Director for the Liberal Party of Canada effective September 30, 2024,†wrote Broadhurst.
“Given the stakes involved, the Prime Minister, the Liberal Party of Canada and all its candidates deserve someone who can bring more energy and devotion to the job than I can at this stage of my life,†he said.
In the statement, Broadhurst cites the “physical, mental and emotional effort†that’s been required of him over the past 20 years in politics – particularly during the last five national campaigns – and the toll that’s taken on his wife and children.
“My family has selflessly sacrificed for years to allow me to pursue this all-consuming work. I have come to the conclusion that I cannot ask them to sacrifice another year. Therefore, with regret, I have decided to step down from the position of National Campaign Director.â€
Broadhurst has been a longtime Liberal, working in senior positions both within the party and in government. He took on the role as Liberal Party of Canada campaign director ahead of the 2019 federal election, with the party at the time crediting him for "instrumental" leadership in Trudeau's 2015 majority victory.
Broadhurst did not rule out taking on a different role with either the party or the government.
first reported Broadhurst’s decision to quit earlier Thursday. Â鶹´«Ã½ has asked the Liberal Party and the Prime Minister’s Office for comment.
When asked to provide comment, the Liberal Party of Canada directed Â鶹´«Ã½ to Broadhurst’s statement.
Â鶹´«Ã½ has also asked the Prime Minister’s Office for comment.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly thanked Broadhurst for his work as campaign director.
“He's been part of the party for more than 20 years and we know that, of course, when you're in politics things are always difficult for your family and work balance and so in that sense, I just want to thank him from the bottom of my heart,†said Joly.
“This is also an opportunity to make sure that we have new ideas, new people and a new approach. And so that's what we'll do, and looking forward to showcasing that to Canadians in the coming weeks.â€
News of the Liberal campaign lead’s departure comes a day after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that helped keep Trudeau and his minority Liberal government in power, and as both parties continue to trail the Conservatives by wide margins.
With Singh pulling out of the agreement, the chances for the next federal election to come early has risen considerably. The NDP leader indicated as much during a press conference on Thursday, while the Liberals are touting a fundraising boost after telling supporters an election could come “at any moment.â€
In the polls, Trudeau’s Liberals are trailing Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives by as many as 17 points and Singh’s NDP are trailing the Conservatives by as many as 25 points.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Tracking Hurricane Milton: Storm becomes world's strongest of 2024
After reaching peak intensity with wind speeds of 180 m.p.h. (285 km/h) on Monday night, Milton became the strongest storm on our planet for 2024.
Hurricane Milton will likely hit Florida cities like Orlando, Tampa and Daytona Beach
Hurricane Milton is expected to leave a path of devastation across central Florida, from Tampa in the west to Daytona Beach in the east.
'This is just horrific': Meteorologist becomes emotional while providing Hurricane Milton update
A seasoned American meteorologist became emotional on air as he gave an update on a major hurricane, later suggesting the reason behind his strong reaction.
An organization that ranks the best universities across the globe says its latest report shows a concerning trend that several of Canada’s institutions are slipping down its list.
A British Columbia provincial court judge says a Boston Bar man who shot a teacup Chihuahua named Bear claiming it was menacing his chickens was not justified in killing the animal.
Liberals considering proroguing Parliament amid document impasse? Freeland says 'no'
The minority Liberal government is not considering proroguing Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Tuesday, despite persisting uncertainty over who is willing to keep propping them up and procedural wrangling over a Conservative led-privilege debate.
A man who showed up at a rental car company only to be told his online reservation would not be honoured is entitled to compensation, B.C.'s small claims tribunal has ruled.
Emotions boiled over after a judge acquitted two out of three defendants in a manslaughter case, while the third accused has since died.
On September 11, Madeleine Gervais was the victim of a theft in Ottawa's west end. It happened in the Loblaws parking lot in College Square, when she was approached by a man and a woman who insisted to help her load her groceries into her car.
Local Spotlight
Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.
Saskatchewan’s Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).
A B.C. couple is getting desperate – and creative – in their search for their missing dog.
Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the ‘Batman of Amherst,’ always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi’s Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
Manitobans are in cleanup mode after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province this weekend.