THE PRAIRIE EDITOR: The Elections In Canada

 

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.