Carney's Liberals poised to secure Canada majority

Carney's Liberals poised to secure Canada majority
Toronto, Canada, April 13, 2026 (AFP) - Pivotal by-elections in Canada on Monday looked set to give Prime Minister Mark Carney a majority in parliament, boosting his party as it moves to overhaul an economy threatened by the United States.
Carney's Liberals won the most seats in elections a year ago, but fell just short of a majority.
Canadians were voting in three districts on Monday -- two Toronto areas seen as Liberal strongholds to fill vacated seats, and a Quebec district expected to be nail-biter between the Liberal and the separatist candidate from the Bloc Quebecois.
If the Liberals hold the two Toronto seats, as expected, they'll take full control of parliament.
Carney has improved his party's fortunes by sticking firmly to a message focused on President Donald Trump, arguing the US leader has upended the world order and Canada needs to take bold action in response.
Carney has announced massive increases in military spending -- insisting Canada can no longer rely on Washington for security -- and has travelled the globe seeking new trade deals in Asia and Europe.
Liberal poll numbers are higher than they were a year ago, and the party has pulled off a stunning set of defections from the opposition benches -- poaching four Conservatives and one left-wing New Democratic lawmaker into the Liberal caucus.
'Members of parliament have switched sides to join our team,' Carney told a gathering of Liberals on Saturday.
'They understand how important the stakes are. They are convinced that together, we can do better,' he said.
'This is not the time for politics as usual.'
- 'Historic moment' -
Canadians have been shaken by Trump's return to power.
The president's tariffs in key sectors have forced job losses in Canada and slowed growth, even if the majority of bilateral trade remains tariff-free.
Trump has threatened to annex Canada and mocked Carney and former prime minister Justin Trudeau as the 'governor' of a US state.
For University of Ottawa political scientist Genevieve Tellier, Carney has built momentum by 'emphasizing the historic moment we are living through.'
'We've rarely seen popularity ratings this high one year after coming to power,' she told AFP, saying Carney was working to build 'a broad national coalition' to respond to the unprecedented geopolitical moment.
- 'Sovereign nation' -
On a warm afternoon in central Toronto, Jeyaram Duraisingam told AFP he was volunteering for the Liberal campaign, partly because he's impressed by the local candidate, Danielle Martin.
But he also praised Carney for asserting that Canada is 'a sovereign nation' in response to Trump's taunts.
'He's willing to go out there and connect with Europe, connect with different countries and make those relationships stronger. I think that matters,' he said.
At a polling station in the Quebec district of Terrebonne, 75-year-old retiree Diane Bujold hinted that she'd be backing the separatists.
'A majority government is never a good thing, especially for Quebecers,' she told AFP in a province where polls show a substantial minority support leaving Canada.
The Liberals remain a political juggernaut but hints of vulnerability are starting to emerge.
The Angus Reid Institute found last month that 'concerns over the high cost of living are higher than they have been in recent memory for lower-income Canadians.'
Grocery prices are up more than 20 percent since 2022 and unemployment is at 6.7 percent.
Opposition parties are arguing Carney's soaring rhetoric about economic transformation has failed to make lives more affordable for Canadians.
Polls close at 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Tuesday) and results should be available within hours.
bur-bs/msp
By Ben Simon with Daphne Lemelin in Terrebonne