Canada election: Mark Carney wins decisive mandate as Trump’s rhetoric appeals to Canadian voters
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has secured a parliamentary majority for his Liberal government after a decisive performance in Monday’s by-elections, according to projections by CBC News and other major Canadian media outlets. The result comes amid heightened global tensions, with Carney casting himself as a leading critic of U.S. President Donald Trump and his “America First” policies, a stance that has shaped his political rise and resonated with Canadian voters.The Liberals are now expected to have 174 out of 343 seats in the House of Commons, giving Carney a comfortable majority and freeing him from reliance on opposition support to pass legislation.
Three by-elections, three major victories for the Liberals
Voters went to the polls Monday in three vacant constituencies in Ontario and Quebec, all of which were projected to be swept by the Liberals:
- Scarborough Southwest (Ontario) – Estimated Liberal hold
- University-Rosedale (Ontario) – Liberals projected to win.
- Terrebonne (Quebec) – narrow Liberal victory over the Bloc Québécois
The Toronto-area seats were previously held by senior Liberals who vacated Parliament following a cabinet reshuffle and diplomatic appointments.
Terrebonne: Closest fight of the night
The Quebec riding of Terrebonne emerged as the tightest race of the night, drawing national attention as the Liberals trailed the Bloc Québécois in a closely watched contest.Unofficial results show Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste with 48.4 per cent, ahead of the Bloc Québécois with 46.8 per cent. The Conservatives were far behind at 3.3 per cent, followed by the NDP at 0.5 per cent, the Greens at 0.4 per cent and the PPC at 0.2 per cent.The seat was decided by an extremely narrow margin before a clerical error in the mail-in ballot caused the results to be overturned, setting the stage for a high-stakes rematch.Carney’s parliamentary position has been strengthened not only through the by-election victory but also through recent floor-crossings, with five opposition MPs joining the Liberals in recent months.These developments provide the Prime Minister with a stable majority government, an outcome that was not widely expected when he first took office.Analysts say Carney will now have more freedom after winning the majority:
- Pass laws without opposition support
- Advance your economic and trade agenda
- Maintain control of election timing until the next federal voting cycle
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the result, arguing that the majority was built through defections and by-election victories rather than a general election mandate, and vowed continued resistance in parliament.
The Trump factor and the rise of Carney
Since taking over following the resignation of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Carney has emerged as one of the most vocal global critics of Trump’s economic nationalism, warning of the breakdown of the rules-based international order.His stance has been echoed domestically, with many Canadians rallying around a more assertive national posture amid rising tensions with the United States. Analysts say the change has helped solidify support for the Liberals, with Carney seen as a stable economic manager who is able to deal with uncertainty.