Mark Carney’s Liberal party inched one step closer to a majority over the weekend, with a Bloc seat flipping to Liberal after a recount in Terrebonne, QC — and a difference of a single vote.The Liberals have now secured 170 seats in a newly expanded 344-seat House of Commons — just two seats short of the 172 needed for a majority government.With the Conservatives at 144 seats, the Bloc Québécois at 22, the NDP at a historic low of seven, and the Greens holding one, Canada faces another minority government, its third since 2019.The governing Liberals will be looking for a majority, even if it’s an ad hoc one enabled by other progressives in Parliament. A formal coalition is unlikely, given the NDP’s collapse and Singh’s resignation, but informal alliances are reportedly already in motion..Military moving contractor linked to Carney criticized for poor performance in federal audit .To govern, the Liberals must secure support from opposition MPs for confidence votes, such as the budget or throne speech — which will be delivered at the end of May by none other than King Charles himself.Elizabeth May, the sole Green MP, has thrown her hat into the ring to be Speaker of the House, which could align the Greens (ergo, their single seat) with the Liberals. There is one more voice in Parliament aligning with the majority, leaving seven NDP MPs, representing a party that no longer has official party status in Canada.Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former NDP leader Jagmeet Singh maintained a four-year coalition agreement, where the NDP propped up Liberal legislation in exchange for passing a handful of NDP sweetheart bills. It is therefore not outside the realm of possibility that the New Democrats could once again team up with the Liberals for a majority.The Bloc holds significant leverage; however, leader Yves-François Blanchet will likely demand Quebec-centric concessions, such as increased cultural funding or greater provincial autonomy..WATCH: Alberta independence group unveils its referendum question.Carney, whose Quebec campaign gained traction, may offer infrastructure investments or trade protections for aerospace industries to secure Bloc votes. However, over-reliance on the Bloc could inflame tensions in Ontario and the Prairies, where voters already resent Quebec’s influence.An Alberta independence movement is growing, with many in Saskatchewan expressing similar interest. Premier Danielle Smith has said Carney must meet a list of serious demands, including scrapping the no-pipeline Bill C-69 and the tanker ban on the West Coast Bill C-48, or face a referendum.The Alberta Prosperity Project, one organization leading the independence movement, on Monday told the Western Standard there is nothing Carney can do that will stop the movement.As for the Conservatives, led by a seatless Pierre Poilievre, the party remains a formidable opposition.Despite losing Carleton, the riding he represented for more than 20 years, Poilievre’s 41.4% popular vote and youth support (44% among 18-34-year-olds) signal resilience, and the party does not appear to intend to hold a leadership race to replace him.Instead, Poilievre is set to run in a by-election in Alberta’s Battle River—Crowfoot, a vote Carney has promised not to delay..Meanwhile, at the time of this article’s publication, a recount is underway in the rural Newfoundland riding of Terra Nova—The Peninsulas, where Liberal Anthony Germain had a 12-vote lead over Conservative Jonathan Rowe.Carney won the election on strong-arming President Donald Trump, warning the US president poses the threat of a lifetime, and promising he will fight him with his “elbows up.”Carney has since visited the White House, where he nodded agreeably with the President’s remarks during a more than 30-minute press conference — and even called him a “transformational” leader.
