Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney secured a parliamentary majority for his Liberal government yesterday, a win that he has said will help him deal more effectively with the trade war started by US President Donald Trump.
It will also likely mean Carney, who took office with no political experience and has earned global praise for his efforts to band middle-power nations together, won’t have to worry about an election for years.
Capping off an extraordinary few months in Canada when several opposition members joined Carney’s Liberals, his party said in a statement it had secured seats in all three districts – known as ridings.
Those were the Ontario ridings of University-Rosedale and Scarborough Southwest which have long voted Liberal as well as a hard-fought seat in Terrebonne, Quebec.
The wins take Carney’s Liberals to 174 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons.
“This is a decisive moment for Canada – one that calls for serious leadership, a strong economic plan, and leaders from all backgrounds standing up to build a better future,” the Liberal party said in a statement.
The Liberals have relied on selective support from the Conservatives to pass economic and trade-related legislation in the last year.
“He will be able to pass legislation without having to go to the opposition to secure enough votes,” said Andrew McDougall, assistant professor in Canadian politics at the University of Toronto.
The result means Carney has solidified his grip on leading Canada until at least 2029, when national elections are due to be held next. The last time a federal government had a majority in Parliament was under Justin Trudeau from 2015 to 2019. His position had been strengthening gradually as five opposition legislators in five months defected to the Liberals. Only the governments led by John A Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, and Jean Chretien have seen more politicians defect to the ruling party.
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