Carney’s Liberals Secure Narrow Victory in Canada Election, Yet Miss Out on Majority

The Liberals won the close election, but they did not secure a majority, therefore Canadian Prime Minister Carney will continue to hold his position.

After a fiercely contested election, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party managed to hold onto power, but they were unable to muster a majority in Parliament, so his government now depends on smaller parties for support.

The Liberals were in control of or elected to 164 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons, with Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives coming in second with 147 seats, but the results were still being tabulated. There must be 172 seats for a majority.

After acknowledging defeat, Poilievre promised that his party will hold the minority administration responsible.

Carney used a confrontational tone in his acceptance speech, cautioning that Canada and the US are at a “hinge moment” in their relationship. “We will never ever be broken by President Trump’s attempts to take us over for America,” he said.

Carney declared: “Our old relationship of integration with the US is now over,” accusing the US of treachery. He said he and Trump would soon meet to “discuss the future of two sovereign and independent nations,” emphasizing a shift toward closer ties with European and other international friends.

Trump’s tariff threats, anti-Conservative feeling, and the exit of unpopular former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which attracted disenchanted left-of-center supporters back to the party, were the three main reasons given by Shachi Kurl, head of the Angus Reid Institute, for the Liberal victory.

For the Liberals, who were 20 points down in January before Trudeau’s resignation and growing US animosity altered the political landscape, the outcome represents a significant comeback.

Chrystia Freeland, the minister of transportation, whose disagreement with Trudeau caused him to resign, described the outcome as “an outstanding result,” adding that “people were even talking about whether we would retain official party status.” We are going to form government tonight.