Trudeau Wins Second Term in Canada But Loses Majority

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a second term in Canada’s national elections, losing the majority but saying Tuesday he was given a clear mandate despite an increasingly divided Parliament and nation.

Trudeau’s Liberal Party took the most seats in Parliament. However Trudeau fell short of a majority, so the Liberals would have to rely on an opposition party to pass legislation

His early morning address to supporters came, unusually, as his Conservative rival, Andrew Scheer, had just begun speaking to his own supporters, forcing networks to tear away from Scheer’s speech.

But the prime minister struck a conciliatory note: “To those who did not vote for us, know that we will work every single day for you, we will govern for everyone,” Trudeau said.

With results still trickling in early Tuesday, the Liberals had 157 seats — 13 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the 338-seat House of Commons — while the Conservatives had 121.

Still, Trudeau’s Liberal Party won fewer raw votes nationally than the Conservatives did, and his party failed to win a single seat in the western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan where the Conservatives dominated.

The prime minister showed up at a Montreal subway station on Tuesday morning to greet Canadians and take selfies.

Trudeau said Canadians rejected division and negativity and elected a progressive agenda.

But in what was supposed to be a concession speech, the Conservative leader Scheer said the results showed Trudeau was much weakened since his 2015 election, when pundits had predicted the beginning of another Trudeau dynasty after a decade of Conservative government.

“Conservatives have put Justin Trudeau on notice,” Scheer said. “And Mr. Trudeau, when your government falls, Conservatives will be ready and we will win.”

Trudeau delivered an unexpectedly strong result despite a series of scandals that tarnished his image as a liberal icon.

“It’s not quite the same as 2015,” when Trudeau first took offce. “It’s not all owing to the leader,” said Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto.

“Trudeau is prime minister because the rest of the party was able to pull itself together and prevail. While Trudeau certainly deserves credit for what has happened he’s really going to have to demonstrate qualities that he hasn’t yet shown.”

Trudeau’s clean-cut image had taken a hit after old photos of him in blackface and brownface surfaced last month.

“I’m surprised at how well Trudeau has done,” said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. “I don’t think anybody expected Trudeau to get a majority, but they are not that far off.”

Perhaps sensing Trudeau was in trouble, Barack Obama made an unprecedented endorsement by a former American president in urging Canadians to re-elect Trudeau. The son of liberal icon and late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau is one of the few remaining progressive world leaders in the Trump era.

The unassuming Scheer, 40, is a career politician who was seen as a possible antidote to Trudeau’s flash. But Bothwell said late Monday that he expected Scheer to resign.

“He’s gone,” Bothwell said. “He ran a really dirty campaign. There is nothing to be proud of on his side. He had the opportunity and blew it.”

Among other things, Scheer called Trudeau a phony who couldn’t even remember how many times he had worn blackface.

Scheer suggested he would try to stay on as leader, saying that holding Trudeau to a minority was the first step toward restrong a Conservative government.

Trudeau also was hurt by a scandal this year when his former attorney general said he pressured her to halt the prosecution of a Quebec company. Trudeau has said he was standing up for jobs, but the damage gave a boost to the Conservative Party.

Trudeau’s Liberals will likely rely on the New Democrats to form a new government and pass legislation. Opposition New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh said early Tuesday he had congratulated Trudeau and vowed to play a constructive role in Parliament.

Trudeau embraced immigration at a time when the U.S. and other countries are closing their doors, and he legalized cannabis nationwide.

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[moaski]

Does Canada have an Electoral College similar to the USA, or is it majority rules? I'm just dumbfounded how Castro Jr. won himself another term!

[garrettforsberg]

I’m sitting here this morning (oct.22) in a dumbfounded haze. However that waste of skin got as many seats as he did absolutely flabbergasts me. With all of his corrupt ways and policies that almost always leave the average blue collar person searching for a way to survive. I am so disappointed and quite frankly disgusted by my fellow Canadians that chose to vote liberal. Good job!! You screwed us!

[jacobwells]

Really? Wtf, Canada, I thought you were smarter than this

[SuburbanRuralist]

He should've done his speech in blackface with a Chinese accent wearing a hijab and holding the Koran. ..

[joezic]

to those saying if trump wins their moving to canada where will you go now.

[uhplumber]

Well that sucks.  Remember you reap what you sow.

[michaelmetzener]

We need a wall on our northern border to.

[fontaineking]

WTF is wrong with you people? We should close the borders and never let another cannuck past our border. It could be contagious.

[omnipotentnickname]

The Liberals are a disappointment, but I think that we should be grateful that a Conservatives gov't wasn't elected. That would have been far worse - both for Canadians and also for the world. Harper ran Canada into the ground by delivering the worst economic performance Canada has seen since WW2, and the highest deficit in Canadian history, and he was a pathetic lapdog to US imperialism. He also broke laws and many Conservatives members were criminally charged or had to resign for corruption, influence peddling, and electoral fraud. And then there are the many, many dozens of Harper's other scandals, including him hiding in a bathroom in Brazil having a tantrum over the dinner press. The Conservatives are bad news whenever they're in power. I'm surprised people were willing to give them as many votes as they got.

[elcajondavid]

I really thought Canadians were a lot smarter, but I guess not.

[thrummer]

For his inauguration, Trudy is going to dress-up in Blackface, and sing a very enthusiastic rendition of"Mammy".

[delivertilidie]

You have my condolences Canada . I cringe for you every time I hear him speak.

[candlewick]

Now, let's see how soy boy does without his majority to wipe his behind.

[bkeen]

It would've been better if Trudeau came out to accept his win in black face.

[ianinabinet]

How do you lose to Trudeau at a time like this? Is it just the French Canadians that re-elected him?

[someguycalledsteven]

If he won then the other guy must have eaten babies or something.

[Levon]

Sorry Canada another 4 years of tinged girl.

[TooManyChoices]

Word on the street is he is preparing his next dabble into black and brown face during his inauguration after party 🥴🙄...

[millerforester]

As a U.S. citizen who has been to Canada eleven times, and still going.  All I can say is oh, Canada.  How could you?

[footlooseunlimited]

Wow..after all I heard from Canadians before the elections..you still voted for him. I thought you wanted to rid of this clown from office, but you kept him after all he did. Oh well.