Could Trudeau weather a leadership review?

Plus, the rise in forever mortgages and Tucker Carlson takes Alberta [The Star] First Up [By Kevin Jiang] By Kevin Jiang Good morning. Here’s the latest on cracks showing in the Liberal solidarity behind Justin Trudeau, the rise of “forever mortgages” amidst high interest rates and what happened when Tucker Carlson visited Alberta. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld federal politics [A Liberal MP is calling for a leadership review of Justin Trudeau, as others acknowledge his unpopularity]( Cracks are beginning to show in the Liberal party’s backing of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In an interview with Radio-Canada, Newfoundland MP Ken McDonald called for a review mechanism allowing party members to express their views on the leader — and to open the door for leadership rivals to present themselves. Coming just days before the House of Commons returns for its winter sitting, McDonald’s comments are the closest any Liberal MP has come to publicly suggesting Trudeau should step down, Mark Ramzy reports. There is “almost a hatred out there right now” for Trudeau, McDonald said. “If people are still intent on having the leader we have now, fine. But at least give people the opportunity to have their say,” he told Radio-Canada. [Here’s how other Liberal MPs are reacting](. - Context: The development comes as the Trudeau government hits new lows in the polls, according to Abacus data shared exclusively with the Star, [which found 58 per cent of Canadians disapprove of the current ruling party](. - Susan Delacourt’s take: Trudeau’s negative reputation is a problem for his party. [Could him taking a walk in the snow bring more voters back to the Liberals?]( Toronto Star Photo Illustration real estate [Some homeowners risk being saddled with “forever mortgages” amid rising interest rates]( If you’re a homeowner with a fixed variable rate mortgage, you may be facing amortization periods stretching out as long as 90 years amidst high interest rates, Clarrie Feinstein reports. This payment scheme means your interest rate will rise and fall with the Bank of Canada’s overnight lending rate, but your monthly payments stay the same — so the length of time it will take to pay off your mortgage balloons. Canada’s financial watchdog, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, said last week it was hiking capital requirements for specific mortgages, meaning big banks will need more adequate capital for risky borrowers. [Take a closer look at the payment scheme, which grew in popularity over the pandemic](. - Go deeper: Toronto resident George Chalmers’ dream home turned into a nightmare when his interest rates soared after the pandemic — [along with his amortization period, which was replaced with an “infinity” symbol by his bank when it crossed 55 years](. - Watch for: As economists predict rate cuts on the horizon from the Bank of Canada, [it’s possible interest rates will soon drop for variable rate mortgages]( — possibly even beating out fixed rate mortgages in 2024, experts forecast. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Alberta [Here’s what happened when Tucker Carlson shared the stage with Danielle Smith]( Fired Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson would like you to know he loves Canada. At least, that’s what he assured the sold-out crowd in Calgary on Wednesday, the first of his two stops in the province. A year after the right wing media personality called on Americans to invade Canada and “liberate” the country from the control of Justin Trudeau, Carlson was rubbing shoulders with Alberta premier Danielle Smith while railing against trans people and discussing claims that Canadians are being “replaced” by an influx of immigration. For her part, Smith kept the discussion focussed on energy while assuring the crowd she didn’t agree with all of Carlson’s talking points. [Here’s what else they talked about](. - Vinay Menon’s take: Carlson may run his yap, but it’s all performance theatre. [What’s problematic is Canadians are taking him seriously](. - More: In 2024, expect more of the same talking points from Smith’s government, as she plans to spark more legal showdowns with Ottawa, push for an Alberta Pension Plan despite opposition and codify protection for protesters against pandemic restrictions. [Here’s what to expect](. [PoliceAlerts] Want to keep an eye on law enforcement? With our new alerts, you’ll get an email as soon as there are updates in our ongoing investigation of policing and policy across the GTA or other breaking news about police accountability. [Sign up for free here](. WHAT ELSE The Bank of Canada kept its key interest rate at five per cent, [hinting it’s now a question of when — not if — it will start cutting](. Asked by MPs to clarify their policies, Canadian universities [confirmed that calls for the genocide of Jews violate their codes of conduct](. “Let me set the record straight.” [Mayor Olivia Chow says Toronto police are not getting a funding cut](. The Ford government is [standing by Ottawa’s use of the Emergencies Act to quash the “Freedom Convoy.”]( “We aren’t talking about sending them into busy streets.” [Why the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends risky play for kids](. More than 6,000 fewer newly built homes were sold in 2023 than in 2022, [as sales hit a low not seen since 1995](. [The home where a “well-loved” Toronto shelter worker died was unregistered]( with no working smoke alarms. This Flemingdon Park climate trailblazer [gets residents out of highrises and into ravines](. [Ontario public servants have been awarded additional pay]( in the wake of a ruling on Bill 124. In his appeal, Hedley’s Jacob Hoggard is [arguing that a trauma expert’s “irrelevant” testimony tainted his trial](. “Sammy! Sammy!” [The cheers return for Ilya Samsonov in the Leafs’ shutout win over the Jets](. As Toronto’s Winterlicious returns, [here are four restaurants that are worth a visit](. POV Canadian Press/Nathan Denette [There may actually be consequences for the Canadian juniors accused of sexual assault.]( CLOSE-UP Richard Lautens/The Star SCARBOROUGH: The Bad Boy furniture and electronics chain founded by former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman nearly 70 years ago was declared officially bankrupt Wednesday, after failing to file a restructuring plan. Its remaining assets will be auctioned off to pay creditors. [Here’s a look at the fall of the superstore](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_207753). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](