In the recent federal by-elections held at Canada, the Liberal Party of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced defeat in the hands of Conservatives, who made a landmark victory. Prompted by the defeat, Conservative Leader, Pierre Poilievre called for an immediate general elections in the country.
The Liberal Party’s Leslie Church was defeated by Conservative candidate Don Stewart in Toronto-St. Paul’s by a margin of 590 votes. Another candidate of Indian-origin, Amrit Parihar also was featured from the New Democratic Party.
The Liberal Party had had a stronghold on Toronto-St Paul’s federal electoral district since 1993. This has been one of the 338 seats in the House of commons that the party had been taking command on=ver for over three decades. The outstanding victory of Stewart brings a very vital shift in the political fraternity stunning the entire nation, asserted the Canadian media.
Prior to the recent by-election on Monday, it was the Liberals who held the seat for 10 consecutive years. It was due to former MP Carolyn Bennett’s appointment as ambassador to Denmark that caused the need for this by-election. Carolyn Bennett had served at the post for over 25 years.
“Thank you, Toronto-St. Paul’s! I am beyond humbled for the trust you have put in me and I will never take it for granted. I promise to be YOUR voice on Parliament Hill,” Stewart posted on social media platform X.
Leslie Church, reflecting on her defeat, emphasized that the Liberals have 16 months to the next election to regain voters’ trust. “I plan to be the Liberal candidate in St. Paul’s. We start working to earn back the trust of voters…,” she posted on X. “Congratulations to Don Stewart on a well run campaign. We look forward to the rematch,” She also congratulated Stewart on his campaign and expressed anticipation for a future rematch.
According to preliminary results, Stewart secured 42.1% of the vote, with 15,555 ballots cast in his favor. Church received 40.5% of the vote, with 14,965 votes. The NDP’s Parhar garnered 10.9%, while the Green Party’s Christian Cullis received 2.9% of the votes.
The loss of this long-held Liberal seat is expected to increase pressure on Prime Minister Trudeau. Global News reported that the poor performance in such a stronghold could lead to significant introspection within the Liberal Party, as Trudeau’s popularity has waned due to inflation, a cost of living crisis, high home prices, and increased immigration levels, which have fueled voter dissatisfaction.
The unexpected Conservative victory is likely to cause unease within the Liberal caucus. The substantial vote swing suggests that other traditionally secure Liberal seats might now be vulnerable in the upcoming general election, anticipated in 2025.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wasted no time in demanding a snap election, describing the by-election outcome as a “shocking upset” on social media. “Here is the verdict: Trudeau can’t go on like this. He must call a carbon tax election now,” Poilievre posted on X.
Throughout the campaign, voters in Toronto-St. Paul’s expressed frustration over the government’s handling of the housing crisis, inflation, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. Additionally, many voters voiced a desire for change and a sense of fatigue with Trudeau’s leadership. Even some Liberal supporters suggested that Trudeau should consider stepping down if the party lost this historically Liberal seat.
Despite these challenges, Trudeau has given no indication of resigning. He has consistently stated his intention to lead the Liberal Party into the next federal election, expected sometime next year. However, national polling indicates that Trudeau’s Liberal Party is struggling to maintain support, while Conservative backing grows.
A recent Ipsos poll for Global News suggested that Trudeau’s declining popularity is adversely affecting the Liberal Party’s overall standing. The poll revealed that a majority of voters (68%) believe he should step down. Ipsos CEO Darrell Bricker described these numbers as “close to rock bottom.” Conversely, Conservative Leader Poilievre, aged 45, is gaining momentum.
The recent post brought about a major revelation about the prime miniterial canditature as well. According to the final result, the Conservatives have grabbed 42 per cent of the total decided vote leaving behind the Liberals with a mere 24 per cent Additionally, 44 per cent of the respondents even expressed that Poilievre would make the best prime minster. However, around 75 per cent of the Canadians want a different party totake the governemtn from the Liberals.
