What to know
- Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre warns that if the Liberals win all three upcoming April by-elections, they would secure a parliamentary majority, raising concerns about higher taxes, food prices, and a growing deficit.
- Poilievre criticizes Prime Minister Carney for blocking resource projects and failing to remove interprovincial trade barriers, which he says increases Canadians’ dependence on the U.S. and raises domestic prices.
- The Liberals currently hold 169 seats, just three short of a majority, and recent floor-crossings by three former Conservative MPs further strengthen their position.
- Scarborough Southwest and University–Rosedale are considered Liberal strongholds, making a sweep in the by-elections likely, while Conservatives remain the official opposition with 144 seats.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is criticizing the possibility of a Liberal majority government following the federal announcement of three by-elections scheduled for April. If the Liberals win all three, they would secure a parliamentary majority.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, where he called on the Carney government to remove interprovincial trade barriers, Poilievre warned that a Liberal majority could have negative consequences for Canadians.
“[A Liberal majority] would mean higher food prices, higher taxes, and a ballooning deficit, which Mr. Carney has already doubled,” Poilievre said. “It would allow him to continue blocking resource projects and leave us with the only shrinking economy in the G7.”
Currently, the Liberals hold 169 seats in Parliament, just three short of a majority. Poilievre’s comments come days after Carney announced that three by-elections will be held on April 13 in Scarborough Southwest, Terrebonne, and University-Rosedale to fill House of Commons vacancies.
If the Liberals win all three seats, they will achieve a majority government. Both Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale are considered Liberal strongholds, with the party holding an advantage in those ridings.
“It would mean that Canadians would pay more to get less, and that there would be more Liberal power with even less accountability,” Poilievre said.
A Liberal sweep in the upcoming by-elections would not be the only factor helping the party secure a majority. In recent months, three former Conservative MPs, Matt Jeneroux, Chris d’Entremont, and Michael McLeod, have crossed the floor to join the Liberals.
The Conservatives currently hold 144 seats as the official opposition.
At the press conference, Poilievre also criticized Carney on interprovincial trade, saying the Prime Minister has not done enough to eliminate barriers, including restrictions on delivering alcohol via Canada Post in six provinces.
“The impact of tariff rates on Canadian interprovincial trade is actually higher than the tariffs that exist between Canada and the United States,” Poilievre said. “As a result, we continue to become more dependent on the U.S. while paying higher prices for products made right here at home.”
