Canadians returned Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to power Monday in hotly contested elections against a rookie conservative leader, according to projections by television networks.
But with polls likely to still be reporting results into the next morning, it wasn't yet clear if his party managed to secure an absolute majority of seats in parliament that would allow him to pass his agenda without opposition support.
A sudden surge in Covid-19 cases led by the Delta variant late in the campaign -- after the lifting of most public health measures this summer -- had also muddied the waters.AFP | Andrej Ivanov"We worked very hard during this campaign, and Canadians are making an important choice," he told AFP, flanked by his wife Sophie Gregoire and their children.
Erin O'Toole, leader of Canada's Conservative Party, elbow bumps supporters at a rally in his home electoral district of Dundas in the final week of campaigning ahead of the snap election"Then as soon as he gets a chance he thinks he's going to get a majority, he calls an election," O'Hara said."I really believe he lied to us."
Entering the final stretch of the contest, the two main political parties that have ruled Canada since its 1867 confederation were virtually tied, with about 31 percent support each in public opinion polls, and four smaller factions nipping at their heels."But is that a win for him?" he said, noting that Trudeau had hoped for more than just a plurality of seats.
He also fumbled over gun control and was warned by Beijing, according to Chinese state media, that his proposed hard line on China -- Canada's second-largest trading partner, with whom relations have soured over its detention of two Canadians -- would"invite counterstrikes."
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