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Justin Trudeau Wins Another Minority Parliament In Canada’s Election

Justin Trudeau Wins Another Minority Parliament In Canada’s Election

Canadian Prime Minister; Justin Trudeau is set to win the third term as he seals a minority parliament, after the leader of the Conservative Party; Erin O’Toole conceded defeat.

Erin O’Toole who accepted defeat on Monday said Trudeau had won a clear mandate to govern although he fell short of his goal for a majority win.

Trudeau, a charismatic progressive and son of former Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, became Prime Minister in 2015 and since then he has been governing with a minority of House of Commons seats in 2019.

Trudeau decided to gamble on an early vote and capitalize on his government’s handling of the pandemic, which included massive spending to support individuals and businesses and a push for high vaccination rates.

Canada is now among the most fully vaccinated countries in the world and its government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the economy amid lockdowns.

Trudeau spoke to supporters shortly after, pledging to work with other parties for the good of all Canadians.

“You are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get Canada through this pandemic and to the brighter days ahead,” Trudeau said to a small crowd gathered in a hotel ballroom. “What we’ve seen tonight is that millions of Canadians have chosen a progressive plan.”

CBC and CTV projected that Trudeau’s Liberal government would hold a minority of seats in the House of Commons, meaning he will need another party’s support to govern.

Elections Canada showed the Liberals leading in 156 electoral districts nationally, one more than they held before the election, including 110 in vote-rich Ontario and Quebec.

“It’s a Groundhog Day election,” said Gerald Baier, a professor of political science at the University of British Columbia. “It seems that ambivalence has stayed (from the 2019 election).”

The House of Commons holds 338 seats and a party needs to win 170 to hold a majority. The Conservatives led in 122 districts. The Conservatives looked on track to win the popular vote, attracting 34% support to the Liberals’ 32%, but Liberal support is centered around urban and suburban areas where there are more seats.

“Our support has grown, it’s grown across the country, but there is more work for us to do to earn the trust of Canadians,” O’Toole told supporters while suggesting that he planned to stay on as leader. “My family and I are resolutely committed to continuing this journey for Canada.”

Polls reported results much more slowly than usual, with some stations forced to limit occupancy due to COVID-19 restrictions. Long lines forced some electors to wait hours to vote in southern Ontario, a critical battleground.

So far, Mr. Trudeau’s Liberals held 155 seats in parliament, the Conservatives held 119 seats, the Bloc Quebecois held 32 seats and the NDP held 24 seats. The Green party had only two seats and there were five Independent MPs. At least 170 seats are needed for a majority government.

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