Carney Liberals secure majority government following by-election wins, recent floor crossings

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is claiming a stronger mandate after a run of by-election wins pushed his Liberal Party over the line into a slim majority in the House of Commons. It’s been building for months, but now the numbers are finally there.

The Liberals are projected to have taken all three of Monday's federal by-elections in Scarborough Southwest, University–Rosedale, and Terrebonne. Combined with a steady stream of MPs crossing the floor over the past year, the party now holds 174 seats in the 343-seat chamber.

That gives Carney’s government the ability to pass legislation without needing opposition support. It also significantly reduces the likelihood of an election before 2029, barring a major political rupture.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was not impressed by the Carney status upgrade. He accused the Liberals of engineering their majority through defections rather than a general election. “The Carney Liberals did not win a majority government through a general election or today’s by-elections,” he wrote on X. “Instead, it was won through backroom deals with politicians who betrayed the people who voted for them.”

He added: “Liberals expect Canadians to give up, get complacent and go away, so Carney can have total power without any accountability. That will not happen. Our country and its people are worth fighting for.”

Carney fired back Tuesday, defending both the by-election results and the floor crossings. Speaking at a press conference, he also announced a temporary suspension of the federal fuel tax on gasoline and diesel as prices continue to rise amid global instability.

On social media, Carney said voters had “placed their trust in Canada's new government's plan,” adding that the government accepts the result “with humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands.”

The Toronto-area seats had been vacant following Bill Blair’s appointment as Canada’s High Commissioner to the UK and Chrystia Freeland’s move into an advisory role on Ukraine. In Quebec’s Terrebonne riding, winner Tatiana Auguste had previously taken the seat by a single vote before the result was thrown out over a clerical error.