Ottawa, ON (WNews Canada) – Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is now projected to hold onto his role as prime minister — but Canadians appear to have voted in the federal election on Monday to keep requiring him to work with the other parties in order to govern in a second minority government.
The decision by voters returns the Liberals to power but does not grant them the four years of stability and power that a majority win would have conferred.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is now projected to hold onto his role as prime minister — but Canadians appear to have voted in the federal election on Monday to keep requiring him to work with the other parties in order to govern in a second minority government.
The decision by voters returns the Liberals to power but does not grant them the four years of stability and power that a majority win would have conferred.
Maxime Bernier, leader of the People’s Party of Canada, is projected to lose his bid to retake the Quebec riding of Beauce by a significant margin. The People Party of Canada gained no seats at all.
Liberal Party so far has 157 seats, the Conservative Party has 120 seats, the BQ has 32 seats, the NDP has 28 seats and the Green Party has lost one seat to a total of 2 seats.
The pandemic election is the most expensive in Canadian history at an estimated $600 million, and speculation has been rampant about whether voters will choose to keep restraints on whichever party they elect to govern with a potential minority.
A majority government was the glittering prize all parties eyed during campaigns, but last-minute polling released Sunday night raised questions on whether one would actually be possible.
Polls closed in B.C. at 10 p.m. ET and at 9:30 p.m. ET from Quebec all the way west to Alberta.
Early results had begun trickling in from Atlantic Canada shortly after 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday night.
Already there are indications that the federal Conservatives are not picking up key seats in the vote-rich ridings where they needed to seize big gains in order to oust the Liberals.
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is projected to win his Quebec riding of Beloeil-Chambly.
