Justin Trudeau has accrued no additional 'rights' to his position by dint of his longevity. The opposite makes more sense

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A very odd and telling talking point has taken hold among federal Liberals in recent times — including among those who seem to think Justin Trudeau ought to step aside as party leader: It’s the notion that Trudeau has somehow “earned the right” to decide whether he stays on or not.

“I have enough respect for him and his function, and the sacrifices that it entails, that I’d rather let him decide for him,” Quebec City MP Joël Lightbound averred this week.

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“The prime minister has earned the right to make any decision about his leadership on his own,” said former B.C. premier Christy Clark, who seems to be eyeing a run at replacing him.

“We’re here because (Trudeau) brought us here in 2015, and so he’s earned the right to decide,” former justice minister David Lametti said during the summer, apparently forgetting the Liberals’ somewhat less successful 2019 and 2021 outings.

This “earned” language couldn’t really be any more explicit a representation of how Liberals conflate the party’s interest with the country’s. “Earned the........

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