NANAIMO: The city of Nanaimo, BC is awash in a sea of red as Liberal MPs make their way in from across Canada to take part in the party's caucus retreat.From Monday to Wednesday, they will share their thoughts with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and try to map out a plan.The meeting comes just two weeks after the Liberals held their annual cabinet retreat in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since then, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP have ended the supply and confidence agreement, putting Trudeau's party back in the position of a typical minority government.This could influence the direction the Liberals choose to go policy-wise, since they are now untethered from the far-left ideas that serve as the foundation of the NDP platform. Singh has, for example, criticised the Liberals for being "beholden to corporate interests," however one of the speakers at this year's retreat is Mark Carney. The former Bank of Canada governor currently serves as chair of Bloomberg LP as well as Brookfield Asset Management, one of the largest alternative investment companies in the world.As Global News reports, Trudeau has long been trying to convince Carney to join federal politics, and while he has professed to be a Liberal supporter, it is unclear whether the prime minister has achieved his goal. As The Star reports, Carney appears to have rejected the idea of joining the cabinet, and may instead serve as an advisor on financial matters.News of Carney's attendance had further fuelled existing rumours that the party may be looking to replace Trudeau as leader, however given that it is just one week before the House convenes for its first post-summer break sitting, at which point the Conservatives have vowed to table a motion of non-confidence that could trigger an election, it is unlikely that they would make such a move at such short notice.Regardless of who's at the helm, it has become clear that the Liberal ship needs a steering adjustment, lest it continue drifting south in the sea of polls. Recent data has shown the Conservatives are out-pacing the Liberals in surveys by a margin of two to one.Momentum appears to be waning, even in areas where the Liberals have traditionally done well. Fresh off a byelection loss in Toronto that shocked many, they are hoping for a different result in the contest set to take place in Montreal's LaSalle-Émard-Verdun riding on September 16. It has long been a Liberal stronghold, however the NDP are giving the party a run for their money this time around.
