April 14 (UPI) — The Liberal Party of Canada won three of three byelections on Monday to give Prime Minister Mark Carney a majority in the House of Commons.
Liberal candidates needed just one election win out of the three races, two in Ontario and a third in Quebec, to gain a majority. The sweep gives the Liberals 174 out of 343 seats in the House of Commons.
Doly Begum in Scarborough-Southwest, Danielle Martin in University-Rosedale and Tatiana Auguste in Terrebonne won seats in the House of Commons for the Liberal Party.
The victories will allow Carney to pass legislation without needing votes from opposition parties.
“Tonight, voters have placed their trust in our new government’s plan,” Carney said in a statement on social media. “We accept that support with humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands.
Conservative candidates drew smaller vote shares on Monday than they did in the last general election. The candidate in the Scarborough-Southwest riding, a district that has previously favored liberal candidates, received about 18% of votes. The Conservative Party of Canada received about 30% of the votes in the district last year.
Another conservative candidate, Adrienne Charles, received 3% of the vote in the Terrebonne riding in the Montreal area. She received more than 18% of the vote in last year’s federal election.
Defections from opposition parties have also bolstered the liberal majority. Four conservatives and a member of the New Democratic Party have left their parties to join the Liberal Party in the past five months.
“The Carney Liberals did not win a majority government through a general election or today’s byelections,” opposition leader Pierre Poilievre said on social media. “Instead, it was won through backroom deals with politicians who betrayed the people who voted for them.”
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