page turn north of the artificially drawn line

Canada’s election yesterday unfolded as predicted with some surprises. The Liberals edged out the Conservatives, but will be a minority party, meaning that it did not win or retain enough seats to pass legislation on its own. The New Democratic Party, similar to progressives in the U.S., virtually disappeared. Jagmeet Singh, NDP’s leader, lost his seat in the House of Commons, and will resign as the party loses its official status. The Green Party maintained its only seat.

The map of electoral Canada looks a lot like the U.S. in a national election, if you reverse the colours. The rural areas tend to be blue and the cities red, though not as solidly. The gap between the two major parties is nowhere near as wide as in the states. The Conservatives, in fact, were expected to win majority party until Trump started blathering about tariffs and annexation. The edge their leader Pierre Poilievre had by Canucking Aging Orange’s bullshit dissolved.

Mark Carney, whom the Liberals wisely appointed to replace Justin Trudeau just before the election, has the economic chops to take on Donny Jay, but he has the hefty task of addressing the concerns of an electorate who is struggling with inflation and other America-like problems. The Liberals have been in office ten years. They need to deliver big and soon.