Reuters. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals retained power in the country's election on Monday (April 28), but fell short of the majority government he had wanted to help him negotiate tariffs with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Liberals were leading or elected in 167 electoral districts, known as seats, followed by the Conservatives with 145, with votes still being counted.
The Liberals had needed to win 172 of the House of Commons' 343 seats for a majority that would allow them to govern without support from a smaller party.
"Our old relationship with the United States, a relationship based on steadily increasing integration, is over," Carney said in a victory speech in Ottawa after midnight in the first hours of Tuesday (April 29). "The system of open global trade anchored by the United States, a system that Canada has relied on since the Second World War, a system that, while not perfect, has helped deliver prosperity for our country for decades, is over."
"These are tragedies, but it's also our new reality."
Carney said the coming months would be challenging and require sacrifices.
The result capped a notable comeback for the Liberals, who had been 20 percentage points behind in the polls in January before Trudeau announced he was quitting and Trump started threatening tariffs and annexation.
"America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country," Carney said. "These are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never ever happen."
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre conceded defeat to Carney's Liberals and said his party would hold the government to account.
The Liberals are the last party to win four consecutive elections in Canada, accomplishing the feat in 2004.
