Canada Elections: Justin Trudeau expected to win third term: What you need to know

Picture Courtesy: Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau is expected to win his third term in office after the preliminary results of the Sept 20th elections show him leading the stack. His Liberal party, however, failed to secure a full majority.

The new House of Commons in Canada will most likely look like the previous one. The reason for calling this snap election by Trudeau was to cash in on the performance of his government during the pandemic. He was hoping to secure a full majority, however, looks like he failed to do so.

With a 98% vote count, Trudeau’s Liberal party is leading with 158 seats, shy of just 12 to reach the 170 figure to secure a full majority. Trudeau has been in the power since 2015, however, this election was called only halfway through his current term.

Justin Trudeau told an election night party in Montreal, "You are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get through this pandemic into brighter days ahead". Justin Trudeau was accompanied by his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and their two children on stage.

The Conservative party, lead by Erin O’Toole stood second and conceded defeat as results trickled in late into the night. NDP has made a little gain in the number of seats compared to last time but is still expected to remain at fourth place. Leader Jagmeet Singh said in Vancouver, "I want you to know our fight for you will continue”.

Justin Trudeau is facing a lot of criticism for calling this election which effectively did not change the face of the government compared to what he dissolved in August. The total cost of this election? $610 million.