Overoming a twenty-point deficit in public opinion polls,
Canada’s Liberal Party, led by banker Mark Carney,
won a plurality of seats to the Canadian parliament, as
well as a plurality of the popular vote across Canada,
and will form the nation’s next government.
Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau had been prime
minister for more than a decade, but his administration
had become quite unpopular, and after he called a snap
election, he was ousted as party leader and premier by
his own party, and replaced by Carney.
President Donald Trump used the U.S. trade deficit
with Canada to confront Trudeau earlier, and to assert
that Canada should become “the 51st U.S.state.
Although this aroused a new Canadian nationalism felt
by voters of all parties, it did not rescue Trudeau from
defeat, and the more moderate Carney took his place
before the election.
Meanwhile, Conservative Party leader Pierra Poilievre,
a heavy favorite to win the snap election, mishandled the
tariff issue raised by President Trump, and his big lead in
the polls disappeared.
Although Poilievre shared many ideological views with
Trump, he tried to keep his distance from the American
president, even publicly telling Trump to stay out of
Canadian politics. But it was Carney who most
successfully seized the Trump tariff issue, and he quickly
gained in the polls.
In the Canadian parliamentary system there are 343 seat
in the federal legislative body. The candidate with the
most votes, even if not a majority, wins the seat, In order
to form a government, a party or coalition of parties must
have a majority, or 172 seats.
There are two major parties in Canada, the Liberal Party
and the Conservative Party. Three minor parties usually
win seats, including the Party Quebecois, the New
Democratic Party (NDP)and the Green Party —- each of
which usually wins a small number of seats. In the previous
election in 2021, Trudeau’s Liberal Party lost their
previous majority in parliament, but formed the
government with votes from the three minor parties,
each of which were also on the political left.
This time, the Liberal Party again fell short, but did
win the most seats, 169, and will again form the
government with votes from the minor parties. In 2021,
the Conservative won the national popular vote, but
did not win the most seats, This time, many NDP,
Quebecois and Green Party voters broke ranks to vote
for the Liberals—- to prevent the Conservatives from
winning —- and Carney’s Party also won the popular
vote.
The premier, however still faces serious issues, including
secession movements in Quebec and Alberta, and
lingering resentment from conservative western provinces.
The tariff issue with the U.S. and President Trump also
remains unresolved. The huge international trade between
the U.S. and Canada is in limbo, and the long friendship
between the two neighbors is being tested anew.
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Copyright (c) 2025 by Barry Casselamn. All rights reserved.
