Liberal leader Mark Carney led his political party to a stunning victory in Canada’s federal election on Monday, the Associated Press projected alongside CBC in Canada. National public broadcaster the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said the Liberal will win the majority of Parliament’s 343 seats to beat the Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.
At 11 PM, the Liberals were reportedly leading in 159 seats in Toronto while the Conservatives in 142. Even if he the majority may not have voted in his favour, Prime Minister Carney is expected to win a full new term on Monday night, according to multiple reports pouring in from Canada. This plot twist is largely attributed to his anti-Trump stance in light of the US president’s aggressive takes in relation to Canada.
Months ago, even thoughts of Carney’s win against Conservative politician Pierre Poilievre seemed too far-fetched. However, fate reversal worked in the favour of the Liberal Party’s maverick who stepped up to the occasion after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau relinquished his post.
Liberals were poised for a defeat until Trump infuriated Canadians
Trump’s focus on Canada and his reiterating threats of pulling it in as the 51st American state found a noticeable opposition in Mark Carney. The 60-year-old veteran economist ultimately built his campaign identity for the Canada election around the same, charging ahead as a prominent anti-Trump voice while his front-running opponent 45-year-old Poilievre was branded as “mini-Trump” by some.
Despite the Conservatives maintaining their prolonged dominance of the polls, Pierre Poilievre and his party members witnessed their double-digit lead fade away. Mark Carney’s supposed campaign rebirth was fuelled by Canadian nationalism thanks to Trump’s aggression towards the country that flipped the years-long stability between the two neighbours. Poilievre also lost centrist voters after his rants against “radical woke ideology,” pre-election polls cited by the New York Times indicated.
The opposition Conservative leader even hoped to make this year’s election a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Carney’s road ahead will now not only be centred around the pivotal US-Canada debate, but also food and housing prices, which were ultimately crucial factors in the picture as Trudeau’s popularity declined.