The True Post ( web News)In a surprising reversal of expectations and polling from just months ago, the Liberal Party of Canada, led by Mark Carney, is poised to secure a fourth term in office with another minority government.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilier will not return to the House of Commons after losing their respective seats.
The Liberals will form a minority government based on results released by Elections Canada by Tuesday afternoon.
As of 4 p.m. EDT, the Liberals were leading and elected in 169 seats, three seats short of a majority. This means the Liberals will need to secure the support of at least one other party to remain in power.
The expected victory came more than five weeks after Carney launched the national election just nine days after being sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister.
Throughout the campaign, the Liberals sought to make the central ballot question Canadian sovereignty and countering U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff regime.
In a victory speech to supporters early Tuesday, Carney promised to “think big” and lead a government that represents all Canadians. He said Canada’s strength depends on working together as a country.
The gains made by Carney and the Liberals were at the expense of the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois (BQ).
The NDP paid a heavy price for both, with the party leading in just seven seats as of 2:55 pm EDT, a third of the size of the caucus before the election was called. The party is also five seats short of its party-wide position.
In an emotional speech to supporters in British Columbia, Singh announced he would step down as leader of the NDP. He led the party through three federal election campaigns.
Meanwhile, questions were being raised about the future of Canada’s Green Party ahead of Monday’s election. Co-leader Elizabeth May held on to her seat in Saanich – Gulf Islands (British Columbia), but co-leader Jonathan Pedneault came in last in the Quebec riding of Outremont. Mike Morris, the party’s only other MP for the riding of Kitchener Centre (Ontario), lost to his Conservative rival.
In Canada, a party needs to win 172 seats in Parliament to win a majority government. Under a recent redistricting process, the total number of seats in the House of Commons increased slightly and many ridings saw boundary changes.
