Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party swept three special elections late on Monday, in polls that were seen as a key test of whether voters supported his tough stance against President Donald Trump amid a trade war.
Results on Monday showed the Liberals secured contested seats in Quebec, Toronto and British Columbia, according to Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC. The biggest win for the Liberals was in a district in Quebec held by the Conservatives since 2018. The other two seats were already held by Liberals.
Canada-U.S. trade talks collapsed last month, and Trump announced 50 percent tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods, including whisky, dairy products and clothing. In response, Carney vowed to retaliate “dollar for dollar” — a stark contrast from other longtime U.S. partners who had sought to cut deals when faced with tariff threats.
One Liberal lawmaker described the election results as a “message” to the United States, the Associated Press reported.
“At this consequential time for Canada, voters have placed their trust in our government’s plan,” Carney said in a statement. “Canada is being tested in a changing world,” he said, adding: “We are … diversifying our trading relationships.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has spent days trading insults with Trump, called for a thaw in the trade war on Sunday. “We’re allies. We’re best friends. Our trading is so integrated,” he said.
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