Canadian Prime Minister Calls Key By-Elections That Could Secure Liberal Majority

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced the scheduling of three by-elections set for April 13, which could potentially secure a majority for his Liberal Party in the House of Commons. Two of these by-elections will take place in Toronto, a traditional stronghold for the Liberals, while the third will occur in Montreal, where the party previously won by a narrow margin of just one vote.

Currently, the Liberal government holds 169 seats in parliament, just three seats short of a majority. Securing victories in all three by-elections would grant the Liberals a narrow majority, enabling the prime minister to pass legislation more effectively and avoid a general election for the next three years. The possibility of achieving a majority has been bolstered by recent defections from the Conservative Party, with three former Conservative MPs joining the Liberals.

The two Toronto seats became vacant following the resignations of Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair. Freeland stepped down to take on a voluntary advisory role with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while Blair was appointed as Canada's envoy to the UK. Both constituencies, University-Rosedale and Scarborough Southwest, have been held by Liberal MPs since 2015.

The third by-election will take place in Terrebonne, a suburb of Montreal, where the Liberal Party narrowly won in 2025. The Supreme Court of Canada ordered a re-election in Terrebonne after a Bloc Québécois candidate challenged the previous result due to a misprinted mail-in ballot that affected a Bloc voter's vote. This by-election will see a rematch between Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste and Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné.

In preparation for the upcoming elections, the Liberal Party has already initiated a ground campaign in Terrebonne, engaging with voters through calls and door-to-door outreach. Meanwhile, the opposition Conservative Party has criticized the recent defections to the Liberals, labeling the moves as "undemocratic" and accusing the Liberals of employing "pressure tactics" on their members.

Recent polling data indicates that the Liberals could potentially secure a majority government if a general election were held today, underscoring the significance of the upcoming by-elections for Carney's administration.