Carney

Prime Minister of Canada Mike Carney draws Canada during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5. The Liberal Party of Canada won three byelections on Monday to give Carney a majority in the House of Commons. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

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.”

April 13 (UPI) — Voters in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, are voting in byelections on Monday that could give Prime Minister Mark Carney a liberal majority.

The ballot boxes are open in two ridings, or electoral districts, in Ontario as well as one in Quebec. The Liberal Party of Canada needs to win one of three elections to establish majority control of the government.

Liberal hold 171 of 343 seats in the House of Commons.

Both Ontario districts, Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, are in the Toronto area. They were previously held by liberal members of Parliament.

The district in Quebec, Terrebonne, is in the Montreal area. A liberal candidate won in that district by one vote last year. Canada’s high court nullified the result of that election in February, citing a clerical error.

The Liberals have bolstered their control of the House with four members of the Conservative Party of Canada defecting. A member of the New Democratic Party also defected to join the Liberals.

The most recent defection occurred last week when Marilyn Gladu left the Conservative Party. Gladu represents the Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong riding in Ontario.

House leader Steven MacKinnon, a liberal parliament member, said that he plans to “continue that impulse of working across party lines” if his party captures a majority.

TORONTO — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has attracted another opposition Conservative lawmaker to the Liberal party, further assuring that he will soon have a majority government.

Ontario Member of Parliament Marilyn Gladu alluded to President Trump’s threats to Canada’s sovereignty and economy for her decision to defect to Carney’s governing Liberals. Trump has talked about making Canada the 51st state and has applied punishing tariffs on certain key sectors.

“The past year has been like no other Canada has ever faced,” Gladu said in a statement Wednesday. “I’ve heard from constituents that you want serious leadership and a real plan to build a stronger and more independent Canadian economy.”

Gladu is the fifth Member of Parliament to defect to Carney and the fourth Conservative.

“She is going to be a great member of our team,” Carney said outside his office. “This all comes at a time when the country as a whole is uniting.”

The floor crossing puts the Liberals closer to having a majority government and being able to pass any bill without opposition party support.

With another lawmaker decamping from the Conservatives, the Liberals would have 171 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons. They need 172 to secure a majority government, which would allow them to unilaterally pass any bill.

Carney has called special elections for three districts for Monday that would give the Liberals a majority government if his party wins one of them.

The prime minister announced March 8 that votes will be cast April 13 in the Toronto-area districts of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, which are considered safe seats for the Liberals, and in the Montreal-area riding of Terrebonne, which is considered a toss-up.

The three other Conservative Members of Parliament who defected from their party to join the Liberals in recent months were Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma and Matt Jeneroux.

Jeneroux referenced Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos as helping his decision. In the speech, Carney condemned economic coercion by great powers against smaller countries and received widespread praise and attention for his remarks, upstaging Trump at the gathering.

Carney has moved the Liberals to the center since replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in 2025 and winning national elections

The defection is another blow to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who lost the last national election last year and even his own seat in Parliament. He has since rejoined the House of Commons.

Poilievre won a party leadership review earlier this year but continues to have problems controlling his lawmakers.

Gillies writes for the Associated Press.