CBC News projects the Liberals will form the next government and that Liberal Leader Mark Carney will be elected to his first seat in the House of Commons in his suburban Ottawa riding of Nepean.
Carney, speaking in Ottawa on election night, says he will always do his ‘best to represent everyone who calls Canada home.’ Mark Carney’s Liberals are projected to form Canada’s next government, marking an historic turnaround for a party that looked to be headed for collapse just months ago. But as results continue to be declared, the party has not secured a clear majority in parliament – meaning it may have to work to unite Canadians in the face of tariffs and threats from US President Donald Trump.
The former banker – who had never held political office before replacing Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader earlier this year – presented himself during the campaign as the most experienced leader in a time of crisis. Cheers erupted inside an Ottawa sports arena in which the Liberals held their official election night party, after Canada’s public broadcaster the CBC called the election for Carney shortly after 22:00 EST (02:00 GMT). But it remained unclear past midnight whether the party would be forming a majority or a minority government.
A majority requires 172 seats or more – while a minority means the party has more seats than any other, but not more than half of the total number available in parliament. The latter is a weaker type of government that could be toppled by the other parties with a vote of no confidence. The vote share between the Liberals and the Conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, looks close, indicating division in the country and a challenge for Carney as he looks to lead Canada through a trade war with the US.