Canadian PM Carney secures majority government after 3 special election wins
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney returns to Parliament on Tuesday with more power after he secured a majority government by sweeping three special elections.
Carney's Liberals now have 174 of the 343 seats in the House of Commons and won't need support from opposition parties to pass legislation after winning three districts that became vacant after last year's election.
Carney's government is the first in Canada's history to switch from a minority to a majority between national elections.
The Liberal Party could stay in power until 2029 after Monday's results.
"Voters have placed their trust in our new government's plan. We accept that support with humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands," Carney said in a post on social media.
Carney won Canada's election last year, fueled by public anger over U.S. President Donald Trump's annexation threats, and he has vowed to reduce Canada's reliance on the U.S.
Since then, five defections from opposition parties, including four from the main opposition Conservative party, put Carney's Liberals on the cusp of the majority.
One of those defectors referenced Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as helping in his decision. In that speech, Carney condemned economic coercion by great powers against smaller countries and received widespread praise for his remarks.
Carney, the former head of the Bank of England as well as Canada's central bank, has moved the Liberals to the center-right since replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in 2025.
In Toronto, Danielle Martin won the election for the district of University Rosedale and Doly Begum won the district of Scarborough Southwest. Meanwhile, Tatiana Auguste won the Terrebonne district north of Montreal.
Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said Trump has been a major factor in Carney's rise to prime minister, but his performance on the world stage has only added to his popularity.
"Canadians liked seeing how well he was received at Davos and have been impressed by his travels abroad — he visited 13 countries by last September — in search of new alliances, investments and trade pacts. World leaders want to do business with him," Wiseman said.
"Carney has proven he is a formidable politician. He has studied politics and politicians his whole life and met with many. He met Trump before either was elected. How many other world leaders can say that?"
Source: Associated Press
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