Canada’s Liberal Party Prevails Over Conservatives After Trump Scrambles the Dominion’s Election Narrative

TORONTO — The party of Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, won Canada’s federal election on Monday, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by President Trump’s annexation threats and trade war.After polls closed, the Liberals were projected to win more of Parliament’s 343 seats than the Conservatives. It wasn’t immediately clear, though, if they would win an outright majority — at least 172 — or would need to rely on one of the smaller parties to pass legislation.The Liberals looked headed for a crushing defeat until the American president started attacking Canada’s economy and threatening its sovereignty, suggesting it should become the 51st state. Mr. Trump’s remarks infuriated Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative and win a fourth-straight term in power.In a victory speech before supporters in Ottawa, Mr. Carney stressed the importance of Canadian unity in the face of Washington’s threats. He also said the mutually beneficial system Canada and America had shared since World War II had ended.“We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons,” he said.“As I’ve been warning for months, America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country,” Mr. Carney said. “These are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so America can own us. That will never … ever happen. But we also must recognize the reality that our world has fundamentally changed.”The Conservative Party’s leader, Pierre Poilievre, hoped to make the election a referendum on the former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose.Yet Mr. Trump attacked, Mr. Trudeau resigned, and Mr. Carney, a two-time central banker, became the Liberal Party’s leader and prime minister.In a concession speech, Mr. Poilievre vowed to keep fighting for Canadians.“We are cognizant of the fact that we didn’t get over the finish line yet,” Mr. Poilievre told supporters in Ottawa. “We know that change is needed, but change is hard to come by. It takes time. It takes work. And that’s why we have to learn the lessons of tonight — so that we can have an even better result the next time Canadians decide the future of the country.”Even with Canadians grappling with the fallout from a deadly weekend attack at a Vancouver street festival, Mr. Trump was trolling them on election day, suggesting again on social media that Canada should become the 51st state and saying he was on their ballot. Mr. Trump’s tactics have infuriated Canadians, leading many to cancel American vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day.Mr. Carney and the Liberals secured a new term, but they have daunting challenges ahead.If they don’t win a majority in Parliament, the Liberals might need to rely on one of the smaller parties to remain in power and pass legislation. The Bloc Québécois, which looked set to finish third, is a separatist party from French-speaking Quebec that seeks independence from Canada. Mr. Trudeau’s Liberals relied on the New Democrats to remain in power for four years, but the progressive party fared poorly on Monday and its leader, Jagmeet Singh, said he was stepping down after eight years in charge.“This is a dramatic comeback, but if the Liberals cannot win a majority of seats, political uncertainty in a new minority Parliament could complicate things for them,” said a McGill University political science professor, Daniel Béland.Until this year, foreign policy hadn’t dominated a Canadian election this much since 1988, when free trade with the United States was the prevailing issue.Associated Press

Canada’s Liberal Party Prevails Over Conservatives After Trump Scrambles the Dominion’s Election Narrative

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