Some Liberals think change may help

Many believe departure of campaign director can act as reset button, give party a better chance

- ALEX BALLINGALL, TONDA MACCHARLES AND MARK RAMZY

OTTAWA Trailing in the polls and suddenly facing the prospect of an early federal election, many Liberals say there is a welcome chance for renewal now that the governing party’s national campaign director is leaving his post.

Jeremy Broadhurst, a veteran strategist who was set to quarterback the Liberals’ election campaign after serving as a top adviser in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, announced Thursday he is stepping down from his party role on Sept. 30.

The decision, first reported in the Star, came one day after the New Democratic Party declared it was pulling out of the parliamentary alliance that was supposed to keep the Liberal minority government in power until at least June 2025. However, the Broadhurst departure was not directly related to the possibility an election could come sooner than later — a prospect multiple Liberals also downplayed.

Rather, after more than a year of national polls giving the opposition Conservatives a significant lead in voting intentions, many Liberals greeted the news of Broadhurst’s departure as an opportunity to change course and improve their chances in the next federal campaign. Many doubted an election would come quickly, arguing the NDP doesn’t have the money or public support to go to the polls at this time.

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, the Liberal MP for the Toronto riding of Beaches—East York who has called for a partywide vote on Trudeau’s leadership, said Broadhurst’s decision to quit is a much-needed change in the Liberals’ top ranks.