Trudeau's Liberals Suffer Byelection Defeat in Montreal

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party faced significant pressure after losing a historically safe seat in Montreal to the Bloc Québécois, marking their second byelection defeat in three months. The LaSalle-Émard-Verdun district election resulted in Bloc candidate Louis-Philippe Sauvé winning with 28% of the vote, narrowly defeating Liberal candidate Laura Palestini by less than 250 votes. This loss, alongside a previous defeat in Toronto, indicates declining support for Trudeau, with current polls showing the Conservatives leading the Liberals by a substantial margin. Trudeau acknowledged the need for the party to re-engage voters and address pressing issues like affordability while asserting his commitment to remain in office until the next scheduled election in October 2025. Despite the setbacks, he urged voters to consider all political options available to them. Experts predict elections may not occur until next spring despite the rising tensions within the government, including the risk of losing confidence votes.