Overview
- The Liberals, following Monday's by-elections in Ontario and Quebec, captured Scarborough–Southwest, University–Rosedale, and Terrebonne to clinch control of the House of Commons.
- With those three seats plus five recent defections, the party now holds 174 of 343 seats, a margin that sets up stable governing through 2029.
- The new majority caps weeks of cross-party shifts as four Conservative MPs and one NDP MP crossed the floor to join Carney’s team.
- Canada’s economy has cooled under fresh U.S. tariffs on steel and autos, with unemployment at 6.7% in March and many households straining under food costs and debt.
- Carney, a former central banker, holds a clear lead in personal polling at 54% preference versus 23% for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, yet voter anxiety over prices remains his central test.