Justin Trudeau has won election but his party has lost its majority in the parliament,Trudeau will need support of other parties to pass legislation.
Trudeau’s Liberals could work with the New Democratic Party in an ad hoc way to form a government
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won a second term on Monday, but he lost his majority in Canada’s parliament.
Speeches in the early hours of Tuesday morning saw party leaders speaking over one another and striking a victorious tone.
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“I have heard you, my friends,” Trudeau said. “You are sending our Liberal team back to work, back to Ottawa with a clear mandate.”
In fact, he does not have a clear mandate. Trudeau’s Liberals won the most seats in Canada’s parliament – 156 – but the party did not pass the threshold of 170 seats to win a majority government, so he will need the support of other parties to pass legislation.
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer called his party “the government in waiting”, referring to his huge gains Monday night. The Conservatives won 121 seats in Parliament compared with 99 in 2015. They also won the popular vote, claiming 34.4 percent over the Liberals’s 33.1 percent, but that does not mean they get to govern.
“When your government falls, Conservatives will be ready and we will win,” Scheer said.
In the coming weeks, Trudeau will put together a new cabinet after losing a few key ministers this election. Trudeau will then consult with the governor general, who represents Queen Elizabeth II in Canada, to set a date to recall Parliament.
Before Parliament is recalled, Trudeau and his officials will write what’s known as a “Speech from the Throne” to open the new session of Parliament. Read by the governor general, the speech lays out the direction of the government going forward. Members of Parliament debate it and then they hold a vote.
To pass, the speech needs the support of a majority of the House – 170 seats or more.
Analysts say the New Democratic Party (NDP) would be the most natural ally for the Liberals because they share the most ideological overlap. The NDP also has 24 seats, which means the Liberals’s would pass the threshold needed to get legislation passed. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said in advance of the election he would be willing to work with the Liberals.
Justin Trudeau will need other parties to pass legislation in the parliament.