TORONTO (Fwrd Axis) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s Liberal Party scored a major victory in Monday’s Canada snap election but failed to win a majority of seats.
The Liberals were leading in 156 ridings, the Conservatives in 123, the Bloc Québécois in 29, the leftist New Democratic Party in 28, and the Greens in two. However, Trudeau’s party failed to win enough seats to avoid relying on other party’s to help pass key legislation.
Trudeau took a gamble in Canadians not wanting a Conservative government as the country deals with the coronavirus pandemic, which saw Trudeau turn Canada into the most fully vaccinated country in the world after spending millions of dollars to keep a stable economy during the lockdown.
“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 group of supporters. “What we’ve seen tonight is that millions of Canadians have chosen a progressive plan.”
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole said getting a vaccination is a personal health decision, even going as far as revealing his own party’s candidates were not required to be vaccinated. Millions of vaccinated Canadians are growing frustrated with misinformation that is leaving some Canadians who refuse to get vaccinated.
Both CBC and CTV projected that Trudeau’s Liberal government would hold a minority of seats in the House of Commons.
“Our support has grown, it’s grown across the country, but clearly there is more work for us to do to earn the trust of Canadians,” O’Toole told supporters and seemed to be suggesting that he planned to stay on as leader. “My family and I are resolutely committed to continuing this journey for Canada.”
Conservatives oppose making vaccinations mandatory for Canadians to travel by air or train but Trudeau supports the mandate. The Conservative Party was hoping that a victory would mean a rebuke of Trudeau and his party’s policy.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama and former Democratic Party presidential nominee Hillary Clinton both tweeted their support for Trudeau. While Donald Trump did not show support for O’Toole, many north of the border compared O’Toole to Trump and him embracing Trumpism. However, Conservative campaign co-chair Walied Soliman said there is no relation between O’Toole and Trump’s ideology.
During the campaign, O’Toole attacked Trudeau in a very uncommon way for Canadian politics.
“Every Canadian has met a Justin Trudeau in their lives — privileged, entitled, and always looking out for number one. He was looking out for number one when he called this expensive and unnecessary election in the middle of a pandemic. That’s not leadership, that’s self-interest. And it’s Justin Trudeau through and through,” O’Toole said.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more information.
