- Canada’s Liberal Party loses long-held seat
- The PM’s party lost a key parliamentary seat in a special election in Montreal
- More pressure on Trudeau to step down
Canada’s Liberal Party loses long-held seat
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party has suffered a significant blow after losing a key parliamentary seat in a special election in Montreal, raising more pressure on Trudeau to step down as leader.
The narrow defeat in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun marks the second loss in three months for Trudeau’s minority government. With all votes counted, Liberal candidate Laura Palestini fell short to Bloc Quebecois’ Louis-Philippe Sauvé.
Trudeau, now in his ninth year as prime minister, has seen his approval ratings plummet from 63% when first elected to just 28% in June, according to polls. Many suggest that the Liberals are on course to lose the next general election to the Conservatives, currently the main opposition.
Facing growing calls to resign, including from within his own party, Trudeau remains firm in his decision to stay on as leader and lead the party into the next federal election, scheduled for October 2025.
The by-election followed the resignation of former Liberal minister David Lametti, who had held the seat since 2015. Reflecting on the loss, Trudeau acknowledged that “all sorts of reflections” are needed to understand what went wrong but reaffirmed his commitment to focusing on Canadians’ needs.