Prime Minister Mark Carney will form a minority government, Global News has projected, though the total seat count is not yet known as some ridings still have votes to be counted.
Carney’s government is the Liberals’ fourth consecutive mandate and when this year began would have been thought unattainable, with the Conservatives ahead by more than 20 points in some polls and a deeply unpopular prime minister in Justin Trudeau.
But U.S. President Donald Trump’s re-election and subsequent launching of a trade war on Canada, followed by Trudeau’s resignation and the Liberals electing former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney as their leader changed that.
“I chose to enter politics because I felt we needed big changes in this country, but big changes guided by strong Canadian values,” Carney told supporters after his victory was projected.
“My message to every Canadian is this, no matter where you live, no matter what language you speak, no matter how you voted, I will always do my best to represent everyone who calls Canada home.”
A minority, however, means the Liberals will likely have to work across the aisle with the NDP or Bloc Quebecois in order to remain in government, specifically on confidence motions to avoid prompting another election.
While Global News had projected a Liberal government on Monday night, it was not clear until Tuesday morning whether that would be a minority or majority.
While votes are still being counted in some parts of the country, the Liberal Party is projected to win in 168 ridings across the country. Carney won in his own riding of Nepean by a margin of 21,380 votes.
The Conservatives are set to form the official opposition with 144 seats, while the Bloc are leading or elected in 23, the NDP in seven and the Greens in one.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh both lost their seats, while the Bloc’s Yves-Francois Blanchet and Green co-leader Elizabeth May won re-election.
Get breaking National news
Jonathan Pedneault, the Greens other co-leader, did not win election.
In his concession speech, which was made before his projected loss of Carleton, Poilievre had promised to hold the government to account.
“While we will do our constitutional duty of holding government to account and proposing better alternatives, we will always put Canada first as we stare down tariffs and other irresponsible threats from President Trump,” he told supporters. “Conservatives will work with the prime minister and all parties with the common goal of defending Canada’s interests and getting a new trade deal that puts these tariffs behind us while protecting our sovereignty and the Canadian people.”
However, having lost his seat Poilievre’s future as party leader is uncertain, and he will not be able to challenge the government in the House of Commons.
Singh in his own concession thanked supporters and those in the campaign for the work they did, following a difficult defeat that saw the NDP support drop to just 6.3 per cent, down from the nearly 18 per cent they received four years prior.
“Obviously I know this is a disappointing night for New Democrats. We had really good candidates who lost tonight. I know how hard you worked. I spent time with you, you are amazing,” he said.
Reaction from the various provincial leaders began to pour in Tuesday morning.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford congratulated Carney and all the federal leaders for the hard work they put in, before urging the government to move quickly on issues like infrastructure and energy projects.
“We have to make sure that we move fast, immediate, or if not President Trump is going to eat our lunch,” he told reporters on Tuesday morning.
He went on to say he’s focused on unity, saying the country needs to be brought together “like we never have before,” saying there’s only one person causing problems: Trump.
Ford also addressed the loss by the Conservatives, saying it’s hard to run a federal campaign.
“He (Poilievre) worked very, very hard. The people have spoken, the people are never wrong, they have a reason why they vote the way they do and I just want to move the province forward, fight against these tariffs no matter what it takes (and) protect the people of this province,” Ford said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith struck a different tone in her own post on X, congratulating Carney but stressing she would “not permit the status quo to continue.”
“I invite the Prime Minister to immediately commence working with our government to reset the relationship between Ottawa and Alberta with meaningful action rather than hollow rhetoric,” Smith wrote.
Smith’s comments come weeks after she had given Carney, prior to the campaign, a list of demands that must be addressed within the first six months to “avoid an unprecedented national unity crisis.”
She did not mention that “crisis” in her post on Tuesday, but said Albertans would have the opportunity to discuss the province’s future, assess options to strengthen and protect it against “future hostile acts from Ottawa, and to ultimately choose a path forward.” She did not elaborate on what that path might be.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who had supported Poilievre in the election, also congratulated Carney but cautioned the Liberal leader and prime minister that while he received support in parts of the country, many in his province did not vote for him.
“Now it’s up to you to show that you have heard that message and to deliver change, not only for Saskatchewan people, but for many Canadians as well,” he said in a press conference Tuesday.
The Liberals, while projected to form a minority with 168 seats, are leading or elected in three seats across Alberta and Saskatchewan, which is why Moe said it was time for everyone to “hit the reset button” between the federal government and province’s relationship.
He also extended an invite to Carney to a meeting to “chart a productive path forward for our province within the nation of Canada.”
Elections Canada announced it had decided early Tuesday morning to pause the counting of special ballots, those cast by mail or at Elections Canada offices away from their ridings during the election, though it resumed at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.
Some ridings could still face recounts, however, due to less than 100 votes separating the top two candidates.
—with files from Global News’ Uday Rana
Comments