Victories give the Liberal Party an outright majority in the House of Commons amid rising U.S. trade war.

On Monday night, the Liberal Party of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney won three by-elections, a result that strengthens the government amid escalating trade and diplomatic tensions with the United States and deepens the crisis facing the main opposition group, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.

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The Liberals retained ridings in Toronto and British Columbia and took the Chicoutimi-Le Fjord riding in Quebec from the Conservatives, where Liberal candidate Daniel Gobeil won more than 50% of the vote and pushed the Conservative candidate into third place with about 12.5%.

With the results, the Liberals once again hold 173 seats in the House of Commons, one seat above the threshold for an outright majority, after temporarily losing that position because of several resignations during the summer. All three Liberal candidates received more than 50% of the vote.

The vote came just days after Carney ended trade negotiations with Washington, considering U.S. demands unacceptable, and amid a new round of tariffs between the two countries.

Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, one of the key areas of Quebec’s aluminum industry, is particularly exposed to U.S. measures. Carney interpreted the result as an endorsement of his strategy. “At this pivotal moment for Canada, voters have placed their trust in our government’s plan,” he said in a statement released after the victories became known.

Carney on Liberal by-election sweep: “The message from Canadians I think is clear. They’ve given their support, more than 50% in each of these ridings, to the government’s plan. And I think that’s because Canadians are united and Canadians are ready.” pic.twitter.com/WeCARpaM7V

— Scott Robertson (@sarobertson_) September 1, 2026

The Liberal Party said the results show growing support for Carney’s plan to defend Canadian workers and productive sectors and build a stronger, more independent economy.

The other side of the day was the Conservatives’ electoral collapse. Their share of the vote fell in all three ridings, and in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord it dropped from the 34.1% they received in the 2025 general election to 12.5%.

The result could increase pressure on Poilievre, whose leadership has been questioned by Conservative sectors over a strategy his critics consider excessively divisive. Kory Teneycke, a former communications director for Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, described the result as a “shellacking” and said Poilievre’s leadership is “under siege.”

The Liberal victory also comes as relations with Trump and the United States have become, along with employment and the economy, one of Canadians’ main concerns, according to pollster Nik Nanos, whose surveys also show a wide lead for the Liberals and Carney in voter preferences.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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