Juno News - April 30, 2025


Liberal Mark Carney wins election with a minority government


Episode Stats

Length

11 minutes

Words per Minute

160.12302

Word Count

1,857

Sentence Count

103

Hate Speech Sentences

1


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Liberal leader Mark Carney has formed a minority government after winning Canada's 45th federal
00:00:10.600 election. Jagmeet Singh says he'll step down as NDP leader once an interim replacement is selected.
00:00:17.240 In an unexpected turn of events, Conservative leader Pierre Polyev has lost his riding in
00:00:23.300 Carleton. Hello Canada, it's Tuesday, April 29th, and this is the True North Daily Brief. I'm
00:00:29.740 Cozman, Georgia. And I'm Jeff Knight. We've got you covered with all the news you need to know.
00:00:35.800 Let's discuss the top stories of the day and the True North exclusives you won't hear anywhere else.
00:00:44.680 Liberal leader Mark Carney has formed a minority government after winning Canada's 45th federal
00:00:50.580 election. The Liberals are projected to form a slim minority with 166 expected seats. Carney thanked
00:00:59.380 all of the political leaders who ran against him in the election. Carney said, quote, and for those
00:01:05.380 who were elected, particularly those Liberals who were elected, I am looking forward to working
00:01:10.700 together to deliver for Canadians. Bruce Fanjoy, I'm looking forward to working with Bruce Fanjoy,
00:01:17.080 said Carney of the Liberal candidate who is leading against Conservative leader Pierre Polyev and
00:01:22.780 Carleton. The Liberals may have to form a coalition with the Bloc Québécois, as they are currently the
00:01:28.760 party with the third most seats, currently 23. However, the NDP currently leads in seven ridings per
00:01:35.980 Elections Canada. Whether the party will maintain official party status, which requires 12 seats,
00:01:42.260 seems unlikely. Canada's House of Commons has 343 total seats. To pass a bill in the House,
00:01:49.240 you need a majority of votes cast, 172 seats. Therefore, if the Liberals are unable to get
00:01:56.300 support from 172 MPs, irrespective of how many their party has on a major bill, like a budget,
00:02:05.040 another election could be triggered. Therefore, the NDP-Liberal coalition could remain if the current
00:02:11.440 vote projections remain and at least 172 MPs from both parties support a specific bill or motion.
00:02:19.580 Alternatively, if the projections change and the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois combine for 172
00:02:26.300 seats or more in the House, they could form a coalition of their own. As of the time of this
00:02:32.020 article's publication, Carney is declared victorious in his NDP in writing with 63.7% of the vote share
00:02:39.960 from 228 out of 229 polls reporting. Conservative candidate Barbara Bale is in second place with 33.4%
00:02:49.940 of the vote share. So Jeff, how safe is this minority government exactly for the Liberals?
00:02:56.120 Who will they likely have to work with to continue in government?
00:03:01.700 Yeah, Cosman, Mark Carney's Liberal minority government with a projected 166 seats is on shaky
00:03:07.160 ground as it falls short of the 172 seats needed for a majority in the House of Commons. This slim
00:03:12.740 margin, six seats shy of a majority, means the Liberals are vulnerable to opposition challenges,
00:03:18.060 especially on confidence votes. If they can't secure 172 votes, another election could be triggered,
00:03:23.660 making their position precarious. The Liberals' ability to govern hinges on coalition or issue
00:03:28.520 by issue support, and with only 166 seats, they'll need at least six MPs from other parties to
00:03:34.300 consistently be backing them. The NDP, which looks unlikely to secure the 12 seats needed for
00:03:39.320 official party status, given they're leading in just seven ridings, might still offer a lifeline.
00:03:44.280 A Liberal NDP coalition could work if the NDP's final seat count allows them to collectively hit 172
00:03:50.120 votes on key bills, but it's a tightrope. Any dissent or lost seats could unravel the whole
00:03:55.360 arrangement. If the NDP falls short, the Liberals will likely have to turn to the Bloc Québécois,
00:04:00.540 which is projected to hold 23 seats, making them the third largest party. The Bloc has had a history
00:04:05.960 of playing kingmaker in minority governments. Back in November 2008, they signaled support for a
00:04:10.940 liberal NDP coalition against the Conservatives. However, working with the Bloc comes with risks.
00:04:15.660 Former Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe has historically leveraged such partnerships to push Quebec-specific
00:04:21.280 demands, as seen in his 2011 claim that the Bloc prevented a Conservative majority. Alternatively,
00:04:26.660 if projections shift and the Conservatives and Bloc together hit 172 seats, they could form their
00:04:31.940 own coalition, sidelining the Liberals entirely. Carney's government is far from secure. They'll
00:04:36.580 need to negotiate carefully with either the NDP or the Bloc, balancing competing interests to
00:04:40.620 avoid a quick return to the polls. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh announced he'll be stepping down
00:04:49.120 as party leader as soon as an interim leader can be chosen. Singh said, quote,
00:04:53.560 Choosing to commit your life to politics obviously comes with some sacrifice. But we choose this life
00:04:58.920 because of the chance to change the country we love for the better. We may lose sometimes,
00:05:03.300 and those losses hurt, but we're only defeated if we stop fighting. Singh added, quote,
00:05:08.320 Tonight, I've informed our party that I'll be stepping down as party leader as soon as an
00:05:12.080 interim leader can be appointed. Singh has lost his Burnaby Central riding seat during the federal
00:05:16.720 election, falling behind both Liberal and Conservative candidates. Currently, the NDP is projected
00:05:21.960 to win seven seats, meaning the party will lose its official status. Liberal candidate Wade Chang is
00:05:27.680 projected to win the riding, currently holding 42.1% of the vote at the time of this article's
00:05:32.520 publication. Conservative candidate James Yan currently has 38.7%, with Singh only holding 18.1%,
00:05:40.120 according to Elections Canada. PPC candidate Richard Farbridge also currently has 1.1% of the
00:05:45.980 vote, while the Greens did not have any representation in the riding. Meanwhile, the NDP managed to secure
00:05:51.580 seats elsewhere in BC, as well as in Quebec, Manitoba, and Nunavut. Singh told supporters, quote,
00:05:57.260 I couldn't have done it without you. Obviously, I'm disappointed that we didn't get more seats
00:06:01.240 tonight, but I'm not disappointed in our movement. So, Cosmin, what are some key notable moments from
00:06:05.940 Jagmeet Singh's leadership of the NDP? Yeah, I think when Canadians, and especially NDP supporters,
00:06:12.420 will look back at Jagmeet Singh's leadership of that party, I don't think it will be a good story,
00:06:19.040 because obviously the truth is in the pudding, and these results speak for themselves. During his
00:06:25.460 concession speech, I noticed that Jagmeet Singh sort of expressed some reluctance of stepping down as a
00:06:32.380 leader. It seems like the party asked him to, and I'm not sure how well in advance the party notified
00:06:38.860 Singh that the expectation was to step down, because for a while, they were really trailing in the polls,
00:06:45.600 and I think it was clear to everybody that this would take place, and Jagmeet Singh also lost his own
00:06:52.420 riding. Like, he didn't have a secure hold on his own riding. He wasn't very present in his own riding
00:06:57.940 throughout his time as the leader. And in terms of the things that I think Jagmeet Singh will be
00:07:05.580 remembered for, primarily the partnership with Trudeau and propping up the Liberal government will
00:07:12.140 overcast everything else that he's done. Now, he's allowed the Liberals also to take credit from some
00:07:19.820 of the key NDP policy proposals, that being Pharmacare and the dental plan, the federal dental
00:07:27.340 plan. And now, Mark Carney can essentially champion those policies, whereas the NDP were left without
00:07:34.740 any sort of clear message they could deliver during this election, and I think that had a huge role
00:07:41.100 in this. Conservative leader Pierre Polyev has lost his Carleton seat similarly to the way his party lost
00:07:51.300 Canada's 45th federal election by a slim margin. Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy has emerged victorious
00:07:58.580 in Carleton, winning 50.6% of the vote. At the time of this article's publication, Polyev followed
00:08:06.160 closely behind in second place with 46.1% of the vote. Polyev had held the Carleton riding as a member
00:08:14.120 of Parliament since he was first elected in 2004. Despite losing his seat, Polyev told Canadians that
00:08:21.180 the fight was far from over. He strongly implied that he would remain the party's leader. The same
00:08:27.920 could not be said for NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who resigned after losing his seat. Despite losing the
00:08:33.600 election, Polyev said the night was cause for celebration, as the Conservatives gained over 20
00:08:39.560 seats and received the highest share of the vote the party had received since 1988. Polyev said,
00:08:47.480 quote, we denied the NDP and Liberals enough seats to form a coalition government. He said that change
00:08:54.560 was needed, but that it takes time and work. Still, Polyev said he would learn lessons from tonight's loss
00:09:01.020 to ensure a better result in the next election. Some boos were heard from the crowd when Polyev
00:09:08.040 congratulated Mark Carney on forming a minority government. However, Polyev dissuaded attendees
00:09:14.740 from booing and assured them that the future would hold plenty of opportunities for debate and
00:09:20.140 disagreement. Polyev said the Conservatives would work with the Prime Minister and all parties to negotiate a
00:09:26.660 new trade deal and defend Canada's interests against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats.
00:09:32.660 So, Jeff, what are some of the other things Polyev brought up during his election concession speech?
00:09:38.680 In his election concession speech, Pierre Polyev covered several key points beyond what was mentioned,
00:09:44.000 focusing on gratitude, reflection, and a forward-looking vision despite the Conservative loss.
00:09:48.960 He expressed deep appreciation for the democratic process, emphasizing the unique opportunity Canada
00:09:54.480 provides, saying, quote, it's with profound gratitude that I stand before you today, at the moment of
00:09:59.920 this historic election, because only in Canada could the story that Anna and I bring to the stage
00:10:04.420 be possible. An adopted son of school teachers and a Venezuelan refugee stand on this stage in front of
00:10:09.620 the country offering ourselves up to serve for the future after millions of people have shown up and
00:10:15.300 marked their acts, spoken their voice, and exercised their democratic rights. This highlighted his personal
00:10:21.060 journey alongside his wife, framing their story as a testament to Canadian values. Polyev also reflected
00:10:26.340 on the campaign's broader impact, noting that while change did not get over the finish line tonight,
00:10:31.320 the Conservatives have made significant gains. He pointed out that the party's 41.4% vote share was
00:10:37.080 the highest since 1988, and they gained over 20 seats, which he framed as a foundation for future
00:10:42.880 success. He acknowledged the tight race in his own Carleton riding. More liberal Bruce Fanjoy led with 50.6%
00:10:49.660 to his 46.1%, but he didn't concede his seat outright, as results were still pending. Polyev vowed to
00:10:56.360 remain a champion for his supporters, saying, it will be an honor to continue to fight for you and to be
00:11:01.300 a champion for your cause as we go forward. He also touched on the challenges ahead, particularly
00:11:06.320 U.S. President Donald Trump's trade threats, promising to work across party lines to defend
00:11:11.300 Canada's interests while holding Carney's minority government accountable. His tone was one of
00:11:15.680 resilience, urging his supporters to see the night as a step forward, despite the loss.
00:11:23.920 That's it for today, folks. Thanks for tuning in. You can stay on top of new episodes every weekday
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