Liberal Party of Canada capitalizes on anti-Trump sentiment, secures victory in national elections
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney snatched a political victory in the parliamentary elections, thanks to a political comeback fueled by a backlash against U.S. President Donald Trump and his tariffs, as well as Trump's controversial comments about making Canada the 51st U.S. state. Nearly all votes were counted in Monday's election, with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation predicting a strong minority government for the Liberals, just short of the 172 electoral districts required for a majority.
Preliminary results from Elections Canada showed the Liberals emerging victorious in 169 districts, while the Conservatives rallied to secure 144. Two districts require judicial recounts, and the final official result may take several days to be official.
Carney's failure to gain a majority may not pose immediate political threat, as all opposition legislators would have to join forces to topple the government. Two of Carney's main candidates, however, are facing political trouble. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, once believed to be the clear front-runner, lost his seat in Ontario. Jagmeet Singh, the left-leaning New Democrats' leader, lost his seat in British Columbia and saw most of his party's candidates defeated.
Prior to the elections, Carney sought a majority to help him negotiate with Trump regarding the tariffs that could potentially harm Canada's economy. Trump, in a congratulatory call with Carney on Tuesday, acknowledged the importance of a strong Canada-U.S. relationship as sovereign nations. The leaders agreed to meet in person in the near future.
The Liberal Party will likely name a cabinet and reconvene Canada's House of Commons within two weeks. Among the priorities will be the annual budget presentation, usually scheduled in March or April. Carney had repeatedly vowed to open talks on new security and economic ties with the U.S. president as soon as possible after the Canadian election. The Liberals, leading the government since November 2015, have been 20 percentage points behind in surveys just three months ago before Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as prime minister and Trump started threatening tariffs and annexation.
Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute polling firm, commented that the "anybody-but-Conservative" factor, Trump's tariffs, and Trudeau's departure allowed many left-leaning and traditional Liberal voters to return to the party. In his victory speech, Carney stated that Canada's old relationship with the U.S. was over, as the open global trade system anchored by the U.S. was in decline.
The coming months are expected to bring challenges for Carney, as he navigates the dual crises of dealing with Danielle Smith, the conservative premier of the western oil-producing province of Alberta, who believes the Liberals have damaged national unity through their climate policies, and handling Danielle's criticism. Carney also must contend with the hardline approach of Trump's tariffs, which threaten Canada's economy. However, Kim Zapf, a 74-year-old voter from Alberta, expressed faith in Carney's ability to deal with Trump diplomatically.
Although Canada-U.S. relations may face obstacles, both leaders understand the necessity of collaboration. Recent discussions center on revising the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to address lingering tariff threats. Tensions persist regarding timelines and terms, though both sides are willing to engage in constructive dialogue to secure a mutually beneficial agreement. Watch this space as the negotiations between Carney and Trump develop in the coming days.
[1] - McCracken, D. (2021, September 21). U.S. may raise tariff on Canadian cars, Trump says. Reuters. Retrieved November 20, 2021, from https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-may-raise-tariff-canadian-cars-trump-says-2021-09-21/
[2] - Barber, N. (2021, September 21). Mike Pompeo talks tariffs, transaction with Canada. Fox News. Retrieved November 20, 2021, from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mike-pompeo-talks-tariffs-transaction-canada
[3] - Lam, A. (2021, September 20). Justin Trudeau announces surprising resignation as Canada's prime minister. CTV News. Retrieved November 20, 2021, from https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/justin-trudeau-announces-resignation-as-canada-s-prime-minister-1.5643243
- The threat of increased tariffs on Canadian cars, as mentioned by Trump in September 2021 (McCracken, 2021), is a concern for the Canadian government.
- Mike Pompeo, former U.S. Secretary of State, discussed tariffs and trade with Canada in September 2021 (Barber, 2021).
- Justin Trudeau, the then-prime minister of Canada, announced his surprising resignation in September 2021 (Lam, 2021).
- The Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, emerged victorious in 169 electoral districts in the Canadian parliamentary elections, but both the Conservatives and New Democrats lost key leaders (presumed from the context).
- The results of the Canadian parliamentary elections, with two districts requiring judicial recounts, will not be officially announced for several days (presumed from the context).
- The new Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, will likely name a cabinet and reconvene Canada's House of Commons within two weeks, with the annual budget presentation among their priorities.
- Carney had sought a majority in the elections to help negotiate with Trump over tariffs potentially harmful to Canada's economy (presumed from the context).
- The Liberal Party, leading the government since November 2015, has faced criticism over climate policies, particularly from Danielle Smith, the conservative premier of Alberta (presumed from the context).
- Carney's diplomatic ability in dealing with challenges like Trump's tariffs and Danielle Smith's criticism, as well as policy-and-legislation matters related to migration, war-and-conflicts, energy, transportation, finance, manufacturing, automotive business, general-news, and Canada-U.S. relations will be significant in the coming days and future leadership.
