In a special Montreal election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party lost a significant parliamentary seat. This setback is expected to increase pressure on the Canadian premier to step down.
The Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau suffered its second such setback in three months with the close loss in Montreal's LaSalle-Émard-Verdun federal electoral district.
After all the votes were tallied, Laura Palestini, the Liberal candidate, behind Louis-Philippe Sauvé, the Bloc Quebecois candidate.
According to one poll tracker, Trudeau's approval rating has fallen dramatically in his ninth year as prime minister, from 63% in June of this year when he was first elected to 28% in June.
Promotion
According to opinion polls, the Conservatives, the party currently in formal opposition, are expected to defeat the Liberals in the upcoming election The Parliament of Canada.
There have been demands for the prime minister to step down as party leader, even from members of his own party.
However, he has stated that he intends to continue leading the party into the October 2025 election.
Following the departure of former Liberal minister David Lametti in January, who had held the seat since 2015, a by-election was conducted in Montreal.
Trudeau stated on Tuesday that there were "all sorts of reflections to take" on the Liberals' missteps in the once-secure position.
He declared that he and his group would keep their attention on serving Canadians.
Trudeau's Liberals suffered a significant setback in June when the opposition Conservative Party won a federal seat in Toronto that they had held for thirty years , ominous indication for the party, which has ruled since 2015.
Additionally, the NDP's withdrawal from a deal with the minority Liberals early this month may have sparked the election sooner rather than later.
In another by-election on Monday, the progressive New Democratic Party (NDP) just about retained a seat in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The longstanding NDP member of parliament Daniel Blaikie resigned in March, prompting a by-election in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood-Transcona.
Justin Trudeau is in precarious position due to his declining popularity.
16 September 2024: Why the unpredictability of Canadian politics has increased
5 September 2024: With 48% of the vote, the NDP retained the seat, which is a bulwark for their party.
The Party of Conservatives earned 44% of the vote to come in second.
Even though it was not anticipated that the Liberals would win the Winnipeg seat, there were warning signs: their candidate received 5% of the vote, down from 15% in the previous federal election.
Voters in Canada have become more and more irate with the government in recent years on topics including immigration, healthcare, growing inflation, and the cost of housing.
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