CGTN America
Prime minister Justin Trudeau celebrates his victory with his supporters at the Palais des Congres in Montreal during Team Justin Trudeau 2019 election night event in Montreal, Canada on October 21, 2019. – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party held onto power in a nail-biter of a Canadian general election on Monday, but as a weakened minority government.
Television projections declared the Liberals winners or leading in 157 of the nation’s 338 electoral districts, versus 121 for his main rival Andrew Scheer and the Conservatives, after polling stations across six time zones closed. (Sebastien Sy-Jean/AFP/Getty Images)
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Four years ago, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal party swept into power with a clear agenda for issues like climate change and social equality.
Four years later, Trudeau managed to keep his own job, but will now be leading a minority government as Conservatives narrowly managed to win the popular vote.
But the election results appear to show more than just left and right.
Throughout Canada, political regionalism has been intensifying. In Quebec, an anti-immigrant party calling for independence surged at the polls and, after Monday’s election, calls from the Western prairies for a Canadian style #WEXIT has dominated social media.
Do these latest trends highlight an increasingly diverse nation – or growing fractures that threaten to divide Canada.
With us to discuss what the latest election reveals about a changing Canadian society, is Eric Miller. He’s a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center Canada Institute – and is President of the Rideau Potomac Strategy Group.
