Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ruling Liberal Party could face a no-confidence motion as early as next week after losing a long-held parliamentary seat in Montreal on Tuesday.
This loss marks the second significant defeat for Trudeau, who has been in office since 2015, after a Conservative party candidate’s won a by-election in Toronto in June.
In the recent election for the LaSalle-Emard-Verdun district, Bloc Quebecois candidate Louis-Philippe Sauve won with 28% of the votes, narrowly defeating Liberal candidate Laura Palestini, who received 27.2%, according to Elections Canada.
“Obviously, it would have been nicer to be able to win and hold Verdun, but there’s more work to do and we’re going to stay focused on doing it,” Trudeau told the media in response to the results.
The election was notable for featuring 91 candidates on the ballot, though most were not running serious campaigns; many signed up as a protest organised by the Longest Ballot Committee, which advocates for electoral reforms in Canada.
Trudeau and the Liberal Party are facing historically low popularity after nine years in power, with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre currently leading in the polls. A recent Leger poll indicated that Conservatives lead Liberals in voting intentions by 45% to 25%.
Trudeau’s government already faced a setback this month when a minority left-wing party ended its coalition agreement with the Liberals, putting them at risk of losing confidence votes.
Despite the challenges, experts believe that elections in Canada are unlikely to be called until next spring, rather than in the upcoming fall or winter. Trudeau stated on Tuesday that he plans to remain in office, emphasising, “There’s work we’re going to continue to do.”
(With inputs from AFP)
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