The Liberals led by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney retained power in Monday’s, the 28th of April, elections, marking a significant turnaround in the centre-left party’s chances, but they failed to achieve the majority government he wanted to ease tariff negotiations with US President Donald Trump, according to Reuters.
The Liberals were leading or had won 167 seats and the Conservatives 145 as counting continued. The Liberals needed 172 seats to win a majority and govern without the help of other parties.
“Our old relationship with the United States – a relationship based on ever-increasing integration – is over,” Carney said in his victory speech in Ottawa. “The open global trading system anchored by the United States, the system Canada has relied on since the Second World War, the system that, while not perfect, has helped ensure our country’s prosperity for decades, is over. This is a tragedy, but it is also our new reality.”
THE COMING MONTHS WILL BE CHALLENGING AND WILL REQUIRE SACRIFICE, HE SAID.
Experts pointed out that the Liberal victory was due to “anyone but conservative” sentiment, the reaction against US tariffs and the resignation of former Prime Minister Trudeau, which brought back left-leaning voters.
Carney, the Liberal leader, promised a tougher stance against the US and stressed that his experience in dealing with economic issues made him the best leader to deal with Trump.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre focused his campaign on domestic political issues and the need to fix a country he said was “broken” by the Liberals calling for change after years of Liberal rule.
The Conservatives performed better than expected. Minority governments in Canada rarely last more than 2-2.5 years.
Poilievre acknowledged the loss to the Carney Liberals and said his party would hold the government to account.
The result marked a comeback for the Liberals, who were still 20 points behind in the polls in January, before Trudeau announced he was resigning and Trump started threatening tariffs and annexation.
“America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,” said Carney. “These are not empty threats. President Trump is trying to break us so we can belong to America. That will never happen.”
TRUMP’S TARIFF AND 51ST STATE THREATS SET OFF A WAVE OF PATRIOTISM THAT INCREASED SUPPORT FOR CARNEY.
Last week, Trump again became a campaign factor by announcing that he would raise the 25% tariff on Canadian-made cars because the US doesn’t want them.
On Monday, Trump repeated on social networks his call for Canada to become the 51st state.
“Good luck to the great people of Canada,” he said. “Elect a man who has the power and the wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military, free of charge, to the highest level in the World, so that your automotive, steel, aluminum, lumber, energy and all the rest of your businesses will quadruple in size, with zero tariffs or taxes, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st State of the USA. No more artificial borders drawn years ago.”
Tensions with the US led many supporters of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the separatist Bloc Québécois to switch to the Liberals.
The Liberals have won four elections in a row in Canada since 2004.