Canadian prime minister Mark Carney’s Liberals retained power in the country’s crucial election on Monday and will form minority government, according to CTV News.
By winning the federal election, Mr Carney’s Liberal Party secured a dramatic fourth-straight term amid rising nationalist sentiment sparked by US president Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty.
The full results will be available later. However, supporters cheered at the Liberal headquarters when CBC projected that the party would form a government, CBC/Radio Canada reported.
The Liberal Party requires 172 seats in the House of Commons to achieve a majority government. If it falls short of that number, it can still form a government, but it would need the backing of other parties to pass legislation, leaving it in a more vulnerable position. The Liberals were leading or elected in 156 districts, followed by the Conservatives with 145, according to CTV.
Minority governments in Canada rarely last longer than 2-1/2 years. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp projected a Liberal win but did not yet say if they expected a minority or majority government. The result, though, capped a notable comeback for the Liberals, who had been 20 points behind in the polls in January before Mr Trudeau announced he was quitting and Mr Trump started threatening tariffs and annexation.
Canadians were deciding on Monday whether to extend the Liberal Party’s decade in power or hand control to the opposition Conservatives – but the election was also a referendum of sorts on someone who is not even Canadian: Donald Trump.
Mr Carney, 60, had asked for a strong mandate to help him handle Mr Trump’s tariffs and annexation threat, but CTV and CBC said earlier the Liberals had not yet secured the 172 electoral districts, known as seats, they need for a majority.
The US president trolled Canadians on election day with a post on social media suggesting he was on the ballot and repeating that Canada should become the 51st state, incorrectly claiming that the US subsidises Canada. “It makes no sense unless Canada is a state!” Mr Trump posted.
Mr Poilievre, who campaigned with Trump-like bravado, responded to the US president with a post of his own, saying: “President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box. Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state.”
Mr Trump’s threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty has infuriated many Canadians, leading many to cancel US vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day.
A consequent surge in nationalism put Mr Poilievre and the Conservative Party on the back foot after they appeared headed for an easy victory months ago.
Mr Poilievre had hoped to make the election a referendum on former prime minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But then Mr Trump became the dominant issue as he slapped 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and repeatedly called for the country to become “the 51st state”.
Polls opened across Canada as the country also grappled with the aftermath of a fatal car ramming attack on Saturday in Vancouver. The tragedy prompted the suspension of campaigning for several hours. Police ruled out terrorism and said the suspect is a local man with a history of mental health issues.
The winner is facing a litany of challenges. Canada has been dealing with a cost-of-living crisis for some time. And more than 75 per cent of its exports go to the US, so Mr Trump’s threat to impose sweeping tariffs and his desire to get North American automakers to move Canada’s production south could severely damage the Canadian economy.
