section_path: Background
section_name: Background
paragraph_text: Background
  
  In 2013, Justin Trudeau was elected as the leader of the Liberal Party. He led the party to victory in the 2015 federal election, with a majority government, and was re-elected in 2019 and 2021 with minority governments. On March 22, 2022, the Liberals reached a confidence and supply agreement with the New Democratic Party (NDP), who agreed to support the Liberal government until June 2025 in exchange for specific policy commitments.
  
  Throughout 2024, public support for the Liberal Party declined. On June 24, the Liberals lost the Toronto—St. Paul's by-election. The seat was vacated by former minister Carolyn Bennett and was considered a safe seat for the Liberals, having been represented by the Liberals since 1993. The by-election was considered by some as a "referendum" on Trudeau's premiership. The loss marked the first time Liberals lost a seat that they had held prior to a by-election during the 44th Parliament. In the aftermath of the by-election loss, Wayne Long publicly called on Trudeau to resign, the first Liberal MP to do so. The Liberals lost a second by-election on September 16, LaSalle—Émard—Verdun by-election, which had been vacated by former minister David Lametti and was considered to be a "safe" Liberal seat. Senior Liberal figures considered the by-election a "must-win". On December 16, the Liberals lost the 2024 Cloverdale—Langley City federal by-election, a seat vacated by former Liberal MP John Aldag.
  
  On September 4, the NDP withdrew from their confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals, though they did not commit to a motion of non-confidence.
  
  In October, Trudeau faced a caucus revolt when 24 Liberal MPs signed a letter demanding his resignation. However, Trudeau was defiant and unequivocal in his plans to lead the party in the next election. The dissident MPs continued to push for a caucus vote on Trudeau's leadership, though there is no formal mechanism in the party to force one.