Canada’s Liberals Secure Election Win as Tensions with US Mount
By Staff, Agencies
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party has won the national election, retaining power but falling short of the majority government he had hoped for to bolster negotiations with US President Donald Trump over tariffs.
According to CTV News projections, the Liberals were leading or elected in 167 of the 343 House of Commons seats. A majority requires 172.
In his victory speech in Ottawa, Carney declared that Canada’s longstanding relationship with the US—built on decades of deepening economic integration since World War II—had come to an end. “That system, while not perfect, has helped deliver prosperity for our country for decades. It is over. These are tragedies, but it’s also our new reality,” he said. Carney warned that the coming months would be difficult and would demand sacrifices.
Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute polling firm, attributed the Liberal win to three factors: the “anybody-but-Conservative” vote, opposition to Trump’s tariff threats, and the resignation of unpopular former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which helped reunite traditional Liberal support.
Carney had promised a firm stance on Washington’s economic pressure and pledged billions in spending to reduce Canadian dependence on the US. Despite this, the right-leaning Conservatives, pushing for change after nearly ten years of Liberal governance, showed surprising strength.
Minority governments in Canada rarely last beyond two and a half years. The CBC also projected a Liberal win but had not confirmed whether it would be a majority or minority. The outcome marked a political comeback for the Liberals, who were trailing the Conservatives by 20 points in January before Trudeau stepped down and Trump’s rhetoric intensified.
Liberal Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland told CTV, “People were even talking about whether we would retain official party status in the next election. Tonight, when it is clear that we are going to form the government, from my perspective, that is an outstanding result.” Freeland resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet in December after a disagreement, which led to his own resignation shortly after.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who ran on fixing domestic issues like crime, inflation, and housing, suffered a major defeat. Meanwhile, Trump’s threats—including a 25% tariff on Canadian cars and the suggestion that Canada become the 51st US state—fueled patriotic sentiment and support for Carney.
“This is probably the most consequential election in my lifetime,” said Kelly Saunders, a political science professor at Brandon University. “Everything has been so overshadowed by the threats coming out of the United States.”
Carney argued that his background in economic leadership made him best suited to manage Trump’s pressure. Poilievre, though, succeeded in drawing more young voters than usual to the Conservative side, focusing on economic hardship.
Trump, in a social media post on election day, reiterated his call for Canada to become the 51st US state, promising massive economic benefits and zero tariffs. Poilievre replied, “President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box.” Carney posted, “Elbows up, Canada. #Never51,” invoking a popular hockey slogan about standing up to outside pressure.
Mounting tensions with the US led some supporters of the New Democratic Party and the separatist Bloc Quebecois to shift their support to the Liberals.
The campaign ended on a somber note Sunday when a man drove an SUV into a crowd at a Filipino community festival in Vancouver, killing at least 11 people and injuring many others.
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