by Virginia Aabram
Hours after the polls closed on Canada’s election, multiple news outlets in the country projected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would retain power with the Liberal Party winning the most seats in parliament on Monday night, though without a coveted majority.
In the election , held early as permitted in Canada’s law, Trudeau faced against conservative rival Erin O’Toole. The incumbent appears likely to once again head a minority government , according to projections by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and CTV. Liberals are forecast to retain the most parliamentary seats but not more than 170 out of 338, the rest being held by a combination of other parties, keeping them from winning the majority.
If you want $10 a day child care,
If you want an affordable home,
If you want assault weapons to stay illegal,
If you want good, green jobs,
If you want to protect nurses & doctors and a womanâs right to choose,
And if you want to end this pandemic,Go out and vote Liberal.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 21, 2021
Two years into his minority government, Trudeau hoped his party’s leadership during the coronavirus pandemic would inspire more people to vote for Liberal MPs, resulting in a more powerful majority government. However, the center-right Conservative party saw some polling upswings.
Going into this election, the Liberals had 155 seats, the Conservatives had 119 seats, the Bloc Quebecois had 32 seats, the New Democrats had 24 seats, and the Green Party had two seats. There were five independents and one vacancy.
According to CTV, the Conservatives picked up two seats in Atlantic Canada, though Liberals maintained their lead.