Canada election result: Trudeau wins third term after early vote gamble

Justin Trudeau has won a third term as Canada’s prime minister, with his Liberal party set to capture the most seats in the snap election, a result he called a “clear mandate” to get the country through the pandemic.

With results still trickling in late Monday night, Trudeau was on track for another minority government, meaning he will once again need to work with other parties to pass legislation.

“I hear you when you say you want to get back to the things you love, not to worry about the pandemic or the election,” Trudeau said from Montreal early on Tuesday morning, acknowledging the decision to hold an early election was deeply unpopular. “You have given this government and this parliament clear direction.”

Preliminary results indicated his Liberals had won or were leading in 156 seats – short of the 170 needed for a parliamentary majority. Erin O’Toole’s opposition Conservatives had 121. The result largely mirrored the outcome of the 2019 election.

Elections Canada, which oversees the vote, had previously warned that some results would take days to be finalised as mail-in ballots are counted.

The prime minister gambled by calling an election in August in the hopes that the government’s pandemic response could boost his party’s power in parliament.