Liberal leader Mark Carney has won the federal election and will be continuing his term as Canada’s prime minister.
Having won 168 seats, the Liberals will be governing with a minority, meaning they will need support from the Bloc Quebecois or NDP to pass laws.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Conservatives Pierre Poilievre lost his seat after being voted out in his Carleton riding. His opposition, Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy, received over 42,000 votes compared to Poilievre, who received 38,500 votes.
The loss also marks the end of Poilievre’s 20-year-long tenure as a member of Parliament. He’s the fourth Conservative leader in a row to be defeated by the Liberals, who have held power since 2015.
The Bloc Quebecois and NDP also saw significant loses, with the former securing 23 seats, down from 33, and the latter winning just seven seats.
After losing his riding in Central Burnaby, Jagmeet Singh announced that he would be stepping down as the leader of the New Democrats.
Carney Replaces Trudeau
In March, Mark Carney replaced Justin Trudeau, whose popularity has been on a steady decline, as prime minister.
Carney, who has experience working through economic crises, was successful in convincing Canadians that he was the best candidate to tackle Trump’s anexation threats and tariffs.
In his victory speech, Carney reminded Canadians that “America wants [their] country” and that “[they] are not idle threats.” He concluded by saying that “that will never, ever happen.”
Carney’s win means the Liberals will have remained in power for a decade, a stretch that began with Trudeau’s win over Stephen Harper’s Conservatives in 2015.
Similar to Trudeau, Carney will have to govern a divided country as many rural regions across the Prairie provinces voted in favor of the Conservatives.
In Carney’s Ottawa riding of Nepean, he won over 44,900 votes, earning him a seat in parliament for the first time. His opposition, Conservative candidate Barbara Bal came in second with 23,600 votes.
Disappointing Results For Conservatives
Back in January, it seemed almost guaranteed that the Liberals would be losing to the Conservative’s Poilievre.
With Trudeau’s popularity dropping over issues like inflation and affordability, public opinion polls showed that the Conservative party was the top contender for the upcoming federal election.
After winning the Liberal leadership race, Carney was sworn in as Prime Minister on March 14. Shortly afterward, he scrapped the widely unpopular consumer carbon tax, which was imposed back in 2015 as part of Trudeau’s climate policy.
Following Carney’s ascension, opinions of the Conservative party began to trail behind the Liberals in many public opinion polls.
Many believe Trump played a major role in shifting the popularity of the two political parties. With Trudeau stepping down, Canadians needed a leader who could hold their own and navigate the challenges of dealing with the unpredictable American president.
