Canada: Carney’s Liberals Win; 19 Sikhs Win; Jagmeet Singh to Resign

Canada’s Federal Elections were held on 28 Apr. According to latest results, the Liberal Party (LP) has won 168 seats while the Conservative Party has won 144. The half-way mark is 172 seats. The Liberals are a bit short but within reach of forming the government for the fourth time, with the help from smaller parties. In his victory speech Mark Carney, the LP leader pledged to ‘deliver for Canadians’ and govern with the entire country in mind after a campaign driven by cost-of-living anxiety and strained Canada-US ties. The night’s biggest shock came in Ontario’s Carleton, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who had held the seat since 2004, was defeated by Liberal newcomer Bruce Fanjoy, 50.6% to 46%, on a ballot crowded by 85 protest candidates opposing first-past-the-post. Poilievre conceded locally while vowing nationally to remain leader, noting his party’s highest vote share since 1988 and promising to ‘continue to fight’ for Canadians. A second leadership casualty came on the West Coast when New Democratic Party (NDP) head Jagmeet Singh lost the redrawn Burnaby Central seat to Liberal Wade Chang and announced he will resign once an interim chief is chosen. Singh’s exit caps an electoral collapse for the NDP who supported the Liberal Party after their 2022 coalition pact. Poilievre’s loss makes him only the second federal opposition leader in modern history to be unseated while his party’s vote share grew nationwide. Various political parties fielded around 65 candidates with roots in India. Of them about one-third have won, an improvement from 19 in the 2021. Of these 19 are Sikhs. Elections Canada says turnout was heavy in several constituencies and aims to certify every result by 2 May, when the Liberals’ seat count—and whether they must court allies—will be confirmed (earlier coverage).