By AP News
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
After polls closed, the Liberals were projected to win more of Parliament’s 343 seats than Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives. Prime Minister Carney’s party looked headed for a crushing defeat until U.S. President Donald Trump started attacking Canada’s economy and threatening its sovereignty, suggesting it should become the 51st state. Polls had the Conservatives with comfortable leads only months ago. Read more.
What to know:
With this result, Carney will remain in the prime minister’s job and can form a new government with a new cabinet. Trump’s actions infuriated Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative and win a fourth-straight term in power. It wasn’t immediately clear, though, if the Liberals would win an outright majority in Parliament — at least 172 seats.
If they don’t, the Liberals might need to rely on one of the smaller parties to remain in power and pass legislation. The Bloc Québécois, which looked set to finish third, is a separatist party from French-speaking Quebec that seeks independence from Canada. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals relied on the New Democrats to remain in power for four years, but the progressive party fared poorly on Monday and its leader, Jagmeet Singh, said he was stepping down after eight years in charge.
Two-time central banker Carney’s main challenge will be to manage a recently tense relationship with the U.S., as Trump has been threatening Canada with steep tariffs. Internally, the new government will still have to deal with issues like rising food and housing prices and a surge in immigration.
