For a prime minister who had just lost a byelection widely touted as a litmus test of his personal appeal, Justin Trudeau looked remarkably upbeat at a Vancouver environmental announcement.

Not so Deputy Minister Chrystia Freeland, whose remarks about her friend's electoral loss seemed as strained as Trudeau's seemed defiant about the reality of future electoral prospects. Over and over again he again repeated the familiar refrain of "we feel your pain," "we listen," "we hear concerns and frustrations," and "we have work to do to provide you with what you need."

The implication is that one had better stick with the Liberals, or one would not get any more of the candy that we give. He said they have much more work to do to deliver tangible results. The point was that at least today, he is sticking around and staying on the job.

Bottom line: He is too proud to absorb realities at this point.

And no surprise, he avoided the expected media questions at the Vancouver environmental announcement.He knew what was coming, so he just ducked out.

So, it sounds like Canada will get more of the same from the Liberals for now.

However, the byelection has opened the door for the usual quieter voices in caucus to go loud. What policy changes can they make? What can they do in magic policy tricks to change their electoral prospects?

Often it is said, the only real poll is election day. Well, now we actually have one. There may be a few more byelections before the big day next year. The question of Liberal Party fortune is now up to Liberal MPs in Caucus. Also, how long will NDP hang in and be associated with the sinking ship? The NDP vote went down in this byelection.

The result in Toronto-St. Paul's is a seismic shift that will reverberate for weeks.

Conservatives have not been competitive here since 1988. The general election is just a year away, and the two candidates will soon do it all over again.

However, this surprise result will cause a rift among regional Liberal MPs who will now reconsider their future. The rumour mill about Trudeau’s destiny will start in earnest, as it is “game on” within the Liberal caucus.

The Liberal ship will shuffle the deck in the coming months, but it won’t make a difference. Monday’s vote opened up ideas and motivations that more solid Liberal ridings can go Conservative in Liberal fortress Toronto.

This can only be good for Canada.

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