Hello, welcome to Politics Insider. Let’s look at what happened today.
The Liberals have dropped from 169 to 168 seats – four short of a majority government – after a validation process that flipped the Quebec riding of Terrebonne from the Liberals to the Bloc Québécois and candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné.
Bill Curry reports that what had been listed as a 35-vote Liberal win has been updated to a 44-vote Bloc win.
However, because of the narrow margin of victory, the riding results will go to a recount, said Bloc spokesperson Joanie Riopel.
Meanwhile, the Conservative caucus will meet on Tuesday to mull over the party’s election defeat and select an interim Opposition Leader to replace Pierre Poilievre amid concerns that the Liberals are trying to poach some of their MPs.
Poilievre did not win his seat in the April 28 election, so cannot be the party’s Opposition Leader in the House of Commons. However, he remains Conservative Party Leader.
Robert Fife and Stephanie Levitz report that front-runners for the job of Opposition Leader are former leader Andrew Scheer and deputy Conservative leader Melissa Lantsman, according to a caucus source.
Also today, details have been announced for Mark Carney’s first news conference since he led the Liberals to re-election this week.
The Prime Minister will make a statement on government priorities and take media questions in Ottawa at 11 a.m. ET on Friday.
Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné of the Bloc Québécois speaks alongside party Leader Yves-François Blanchet in Ottawa in 2021.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
What else is going on
Ontario to table budget on May 15 amid effects of Donald Trump’s tariffs: Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy announced the date today, saying it will be a plan that helps Ontario build more, build faster and achieve free trade across Canada.
Trimming F-35 order could antagonize Trump as security and trade talks get under way: analysts: “Using the F-35 as a bargaining chip could backfire badly,” says Andrea Charron, director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba.
Algoma Steel CEO asks Carney to ‘immediately engage’ with Trump on steel tariffs: Michael Garcia also wants Mr. Carney to make good on his proposal to levy a carbon tax on foreign steel imports, similar to the industrial carbon tax that Algoma itself is subject to in Canada.
How retired businessman Bruce Fanjoy defeated Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre: Bruce Fanjoy, the Liberal candidate who defeated Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in his riding in the federal election, says he’s not surprised by his win.
Proportion of women in the House of Commons dips, with slight rise in minority MPs: An analysis by the Library of Parliament shows 30.03 per cent of Canada’s newly elected MPs are female, down from 30.9 per cent in the 2021 election, making gender parity in the House a more distant prospect.
On our radar
No schedules released for party leaders.
Quote of the Day
“It depends very much on whether we have pragmatic Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney as our prime minister or whether we have environmental extremist, keep-it-in-the-ground, phase-out-fossil-fuels, author-of-the-book Values Mark Carney as prime minister. And I don’t know the answer to that yet. I don’t think Canadians know the answer to that yet.” – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith today, at a news conference in Edmonton, on getting a fair hearing from Prime Minister Mark Carney given that his caucus includes veterans of the Trudeau government.
Question period
Prime Minister Mark Carney is said to be soon meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Who was the first world leader to meet with Trump after he was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025 for his second term as President?
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for the answer.
Perspectives
Why the Conservatives should dump Poilievre – but won’t
All this said, the defenestration of Mr. Poilievre by the party is likely not in the cards. With sidekick Jenni Byrne, he is a fierce political infighter who will beat back adversaries who try to dislodge him.
— Lawrence Martin, Public Affairs Columnist
For the good of the country, Liberals and Conservatives must work together
We need our political decision-makers to find where collaboration is possible, to put aside partisanship, at least for now, to focus on the tough decisions necessary to get our economic house in order, invest in our national security, and assure both our sovereignty and future prosperity.
— Martha Hall Findlay is director of the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, the James S. and Barbara A. Palmer chair in public policy and former member of Parliament.
As Canada moves to a two-party system, the Conservatives need new strategies
If he stays, Mr. Poilievre will need a plan to boost his vote from 40 per cent to closer to 50 per cent. He could do that by locking in more men who shower after work instead of before, speaking to the affordability issues of moms, and having a credible “make polluters pay” climate plan.
— Ken Boessenkool is a partner in the policy advisory firm Meredith Boessenkool and Phillips and was a senior campaign and policy adviser to Stephen Harper.
Go deeper
- Follow along for our stories on Canada-U.S. relations as news develops.
The Decibel: Globe columnists Robyn Urback, Andrew Coyne and Gary Mason are on The Globe and Mail podcast to discuss the path ahead for federal leaders and their parties.
- Like a long read? Check out the fall of Justin Trudeau and the making of Pierre Poilievre
- Take a look at the history of immigration reporting and great political scandals from A Nation’s Paper, a book about The Globe and Mail’s role in Canadian history
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop.
The answer to today’s question: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump at the White House on Feb. 5 after Trump became President on Jan. 20.