Canada: Setback for Justin Trudeau as the Liberal Party loses its old stronghold in the polls

Ottawa (Canada), June 26: In a huge setback for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Liberal Party lost the by-election in the party’s old stronghold of Toronto-St. Paul constituency, CBC News reported Tuesday.

Stewart’s victory is shocking because the seat has been held by the Liberals for more than 30 years, even during the party’s past low points, such as the 2011 federal election, which saw only 34 Liberal MPs return to Parliament.

Before Monday’s vote, a Conservative candidate had not been competitive in Toronto-St. Paul’s since the 1980s. The party had not won a seat in urban Toronto since the 2011 federal election.

In a closely contested election, Conservative candidate Don Stewart, a consultant, claimed victory with about 42 percent of the vote against Liberal candidate Leslie Church, a former Parliament Hill staffer and lawyer, who won about 40 percent of the votes cast.

The Liberal Party’s poor showing in a stronghold like this could spark a search for Trudeau, who has seen his popularity plummet amid inflation, the cost of living crisis, high housing prices and rising immigration levels, which has fueled voter dissatisfaction. CBC News.

This Conservative unrest is likely to cause some unrest in the Liberal caucus, as such a dramatic vote shift could put other supposedly ‘safe’ seats in play for the Conservatives at the next general election.

Outgoing Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett defeated her Conservative opponent by about 24 points in this 2021 riding. Church lost by about two points. If the same kind of voting changes were applied to other elections in the province, dozens of Liberal MPs could lose their seats at the next election.

About 55 Liberal MPs won in Ontario by a smaller margin than what Bennett posted here in Toronto-St Paul’s in the last general election, according to a CBC News analysis of past election data.

Bennett, a popular figure in the party with a strong local following, resigned last year after 26 years in parliament to become Canada’s ambassador to Denmark.

Justin Trudeau responded to the shocking results, saying he hears people’s “concerns and frustrations,” adding that he and his team still have a lot of hard work to do.

“This was clearly not the outcome we wanted, but I want to be clear that I hear your concerns and frustrations,” Trudeau said in a media statement. He did not answer questions from reporters.

“These are not easy times. And it’s clear that I and my entire team have much more hard work to do to make tangible, real progress that Canadians can see and feel,” he added.

Trudeau’s main rival, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievr, reacted to the results and asked Prime Minister Trudeau to call an early election.

“Here is the verdict: Trudeau cannot continue like this,” Poilievre posted on X. “He must now call an election for a carbon tax.”

Amid voter concerns, Trudeau’s approval rating has fallen to a record low of 30 percent, just a year before an election year. Several reports even claim that Trudeau’s Liberal Party will lose badly to the Conservatives in the next election.

Canada’s general election is expected to take place sometime next year.

Despite declining ratings, Trudeau has promised to lead the Liberal Party into elections next year.

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