Carney govt wins majority in Canada

Toronto

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney secured a majority government with special election wins Monday night, allowing his Liberals to pass legislation without the support of opposition parties.

Voters cast ballots for three vacant seats of the 343 districts represented in Parliament. In Toronto, Liberal candidate Danielle Martin won the election for the district of University Rosedale and Liberal Doly Begum won the district of Scarborough Southwest. The result for a Quebec district was expected later.

The Liberal Party could stay in power until 2029 after Monday's results.

Carney won Canada's election last year, fueled by public anger over US President Donald Trump's annexation threats, and he has vowed to reduce Canada's reliance on the US.

Since then, five defections from opposition parties, including four from the main opposition Conservative party, put Carney's Liberals on the cusp of the majority.

One of those defectors referenced Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as helping in his decision. In that speech, Carney condemned economic coercion by great powers against smaller countries and received widespread praise for his remarks.