Sudbury area Liberal MPs react to current turmoil in Ottawa, and leadership questions

Two Liberal MPs for the Sudbury area weighed in on Thursday on the current turmoil within their party, and on questions surrounding its leadership.

Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe says she's not happy with how her party has handled things this week.

It comes after the shocking resignation by the finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, and a growing call among some MPs for Justin Trudeau to step down as party leader.

"I was disappointed in our party this week. I think I'm a person who upholds the values of the party overall really strongly. They are values that I connect with. We are a unifying party and we didn't demonstrate that this week. We also need to get back to the priorities of Canadians," said Lapointe during a funding announcement involving Sudbury's transit system.

"Focusing on our internal party and internal politics doesn't help," she said. 

Lapointe says the Liberal Party needs to be focusing on larger challenges, including the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House in mid-January. 

Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré says he respects the diverse opinions of those in his party, but he says the choice on whether to stay or go as leader is up Trudeau himself.

He does say that what he is hearing from his constituents is that they want change.

"We definitely have to look at presenting new ideas. We definitely have to look at presenting a new approach. People want change. Let's be clear, the change that Pierre Poilievre is proposing is not good for this country. So the change that people want? Right now, it's easy to say we're just gonna vote for the alternative. But that's what I'm hearing is, yes, we need change. We're looking for change," said Serré.

Serré says many people he's talked to seem most concerned with their jobs and with affordability issues when U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump takes office next month.

Trudeau has said he will take some time to consider his future.