Canada election sees win for Trudeau as Liberals fail to secure majority

Justin Trudeau narrowly won the Canada election even though his Liberal Party failed to secure a majority.

However, many critics brand the poll a waste of time.

This is Mr Trudeau’s third victory at a federal election, which he called to take place early. But the Liberals are expected to only win 156 seats. This is less than the 170 required for the majority that Mr Trudeau wants.

Meanwhile, holding on to their status as main opposition, the Conservatives expect to win around 122 seats.

Despite the shortfall, Mr Trudeau remains optimistic, as there are votes that still need counting. He says, “millions of Canadians have chosen a progressive plan,” and have “elected a government that will fight for you and deliver for you”.

A failed gamble

The election, taking place during a fourth wave of coronavirus pandemic in the country, cost around C$600m ($470m; £344m, making it Canada’s most expensive one ever.

The projected results show a similar parliament to that elected two years ago in 2019.

The snap election sent Canadians to polling stations for a second time in just two years. But Mr Trudeau struggled to explain the need for calling it. Many see it as a bid for him to secure a majority government, with Conservative leader Erin O’Toole calling it a waste of time and money. Mr O’Toole says: “Canadians sent him back with another minority at a cost of $600m and deeper divisions in our great country”.

However, Mr Trudeau maintains that the election gives the incoming government clear mandate to move forward.

The campaign has attracted other controversies as well, as three instances of him wearing blackface and brownface resurfaced. This is widely seen as racist caricatures. Anti-vaccine protesters also heckled Mr Trudeau during his campaign trail. They shouted at him that they would refuse to have a Covid jab.

Questions are now raised over Mr Trudeau’s political future. But Liberal MP Pablo Rodriguez says that whatever the outcome, he has “100% confidence” in him as Party leader. “All the members of the party to as well”, he adds.

The election results

Seat tallies still need finalising, as vote counts continue to trickle in over the next few days as officials work through an estimated one million mail-in ballots.

The country’s left-wing New Democrats (NDP), led by Jagmeet Singh, won a small number of seats. They ran a “tax the ultra-rich” message in an attempt to attract progressive voters who are frustrated with the Liberals.

Meanwhile, the result is disappointing for for the Conservatives, and their new party leader Erin O’Toole. He ran a campaign on a centrist message in hope of expanding the party’s support base. The party is projected to win the popular vote, just like in 2019. But the system of awarding victory to the candidate with most votes in the constituency means it does not translate to number of seats won.

In his vision for a wider Conservative reach, Mr O’Toole says: “Our party needed the courage to change because Canada has changed”. He urges supporters to stand firm on their commitment to grow the party’s base. But acknowledges there is “clearly” more work to do in setting the stage for better results in the next campaign.

Despite Mr O’Toole failing to secure the party a victory, strategist Jason Lietaer still believes there is good reason to to keep him on as leader. In “just a few weeks” he has “gone from unknown to contender”. He started out as an underdog, but managed to reach within a few points of the aim. It is something they are all proud of.

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