CANADA Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won the country’s election held on Monday, April 28.
However, Carney did not get the majority vote he expected to aid in negotiations on tariffs with United States President Donald Trump.
The Liberals were ahead with 167 electoral districts, or seats, while the Conservatives followed with 145, as counting of votes was underway.
The Liberals needed to secure 172 out of the House of Commons’ 343 seats to achieve a majority, enabling its lawmakers to govern without relying on support from a smaller party.
The result marked a significant comeback for the Liberals, who had trailed by 20 percentage points in the polls back in January, before Trudeau announced his resignation and Trump began making threats of tariffs and annexation.
The ICIR reports that minority governments typically last no longer than two and a half years in Canada.
“Our old relationship with the United States, a relationship based on steadily increasing integration, is over,” Carney said in a victory speech in Ottawa.
“The system of open global trade anchored by the United States, a system that Canada has relied on since the Second World War, a system that, while not perfect, has helped deliver prosperity for our country for decades, is over.”
“America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,” Carney said, adding, “These are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never ever happen. These are tragedies, but it’s also our new reality.”
Carney added that the coming months would be difficult and demand sacrifices.
Trump’s threats sparked a surge of patriotism, boosting support for Carney, a political newcomer who had previously led two G7 central banks.
The ICIR reported that Trump announced he might impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian-made cars, claiming the United States had no interest in them.
He also reiterated his call to use “economic force” to make Canada the 51st state on Monday, April 27.
Carney vowed to take a tough stance with Washington over its import tariffs and emphasised that Canada would need to invest billions to reduce its reliance on the US. However, the right-leaning Conservatives, who had called for change after more than nine years of Liberal governance, demonstrated surprising strength.
Carney has highlighted his experience handling economic issues, positioning himself as the best leader to handle Trump, while Pierre Poilievre focused on concerns over the cost of living, crime, and the housing crisis.
The conservative leader, Poilievre, acknowledged defeat to Carney’s Liberals and stated that his party would hold the government accountable.
“We didn’t quite get over the finish line yet,” Poilievre told his supporters in Ottawa. “We know that change is needed, but change is hard to come by. It takes time.”
The Liberals are the last party to win four consecutive elections in Canada.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.