Subscribe Login
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
Jamaica Observer
ePaper
The Edge 105 FM Radio Fyah 105 FM
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
    • Home
    • News
      • Latest News
      • Cartoon
      • International News
      • Central
      • North & East
      • Western
      • Environment
      • Health
      • #
    • Business
      • Business Bites
      • Social Love
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Basketball
      • Cricket
      • Horse Racing
      • World Champs
      • Commonwealth Games
      • FIFA World Cup 2022
      • Olympics
      • #
    • Entertainment
      • Music
      • Movies
      • Art & Culture
      • Bookends
      • #
    • Lifestyle
      • Page2
      • Food
      • Tuesday Style
      • Food Awards
      • JOL Takes Style Out
      • Design Week JA
      • Black Friday
      • #
    • All Woman
      • Home
      • Relationships
      • Features
      • Fashion
      • Fitness
      • Rights
      • Parenting
      • Advice
      • #
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
      • Employment
      • Property
      • Motor Vehicles
      • Place an Ad
      • Obituaries
    • More
      • Games
      • Elections
      • Jobs & Careers
      • Study Centre
      • Jnr Study Centre
      • Letters
      • Columns
      • Advertorial
      • Editorial
      • Supplements
      • Webinars
  • Home
  • News
    • International News
  • Latest
  • Business
    • Business Bites
  • Cartoon
  • Games
  • Food Awards
  • Health
  • Entertainment
    • Bookends
  • Regional
  • Sports
    • Sports
    • World Cup
    • World Champs
    • Olympics
  • All Woman
  • Career & Education
  • Environment
  • Webinars
  • More
    • Football
    • Elections
    • Letters
    • Advertorial
    • Columns
    • Editorial
    • Supplements
  • Epaper
  • Classifieds
  • Design Week
Trudeau wins but faces divided Canada
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets commutersat a metro station in Montreal, yesterday. Trudeau won asecond term in Canada's national elections Monday, losingthe majority but delivering unexpectedly strong resultsdespite having been weakened by a series of scandals that tarnished his image as a liberal icon. (Photos: AP)
News
October 23, 2019

Trudeau wins but faces divided Canada

TORONTO, Canada (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau begins his second term facing an increasingly divided parliament and country, with his rock-star appeal from four years ago diminished by scandal and unmet expectations.

Trudeau was re-elected in a stronger-than-expected showing in Monday’s national elections. But while his Liberal Party took the most seats in parliament, it lost its majority and will have to rely on an opposition party to get anything passed.

The prime minister struck a conciliatory note in an early morning address that forced the TV networks to break from covering his Conservative rival, Andrew Scheer, who had just begun speaking to his own supporters.

“To those who did not vote for us, know that we will work every single day for you; we will govern for everyone,” Trudeau said.

With results still trickling in, the Liberals had 157 seats — 13 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the 338-seat House of Commons — while the Conservatives had 121.

While Trudeau claimed a “clear mandate”, his party won fewer raw votes nationally than the Conservatives did, and failed to win a single seat in the western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, where the Conservatives dominated.

There is growing outrage in Alberta, home to the third-largest oil reserves in the world, over Trudeau’s inability to get a pipeline built to the Pacific Coast.

“To Canadians in Alberta and Saskatchewan,” he said after his victory, “know that you are an essential part of our great country. I have heard your frustration, and I want to be there to support you. Let us all work hard to bring our country together.”

At the same time, Trudeau said Canadians elected a Government that will fight climate change. That means he will keep a national carbon tax in place that has also angered western Canada.

In what was supposed to be a concession speech, Scheer said the results showed Trudeau was much weakened since his 2015 election, when pundits had predicted the beginning of another Trudeau dynasty. Trudeau’s father, Pierre, was prime minister from 1968 to 1984, apart from a brief interruption in 1979-80.

“Conservatives have put Justin Trudeau on notice,” Scheer said. “And Mr Trudeau, when your Government falls, Conservatives will be ready, and we will win.”

Later, at a news conference, Scheer blamed Trudeau for division in the country, accusing him of pitting region against region.

“We have a divided country. It is essential for Justin Trudeau to take this seriously, to try to find common ground, and stop attacking the energy sector,” Scheer said. He said he will continue as Conservative leader.

Canada was also further divided by the electoral success of the separatist Bloc Quebecois in the French-speaking province of Quebec. The Bloc won 32 of the province’s 78 districts, up from 10.

The party, however, didn’t talk about separatism during the campaign and is not expected to seek a referendum on independence from Canada.

Trudeau, 47, prevailed after a series of scandals that tarnished his image as a liberal icon.

Old photos of him in blackface and brownface surfaced last month, and Trudeau was also accused of bullying his female attorney general into dropping the prosecution of a Canadian engineering company.

Also, environmentalists have accused him of betrayal for spending billions to buy the pipeline in a so-far unsuccessful bid to get the stalled project moving again. It has been held up by environmental opposition and court challenges.

“I’m surprised at how well Trudeau has done,” Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, said of the election results. “I don’t think anybody expected Trudeau to get a majority, but they are not that far off.”

Trudeau’s Liberals are likely to rely on the New Democrats to form a new government. That will further alienate western Canada because New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh is against the pipeline project.

Singh disputed the notion the results show a broken Canada. More than 63 per cent of Canada’s voters chose progressive parties.

“The people in a lot of ways share so many values,” Singh said.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer speaks at Conservative election headquarters in Regina, Saskatchewan, on Monday.
Liberalpartysupporterscelebrate at theelection partyheadquartersin Montreal,Monday.

{"website":"website"}{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
img img
0 Comments · Make a comment

ALSO ON JAMAICA OBSERVER

Venezuela upset United States 3-2 to win World Baseball Classic
Latest News, Sports
Venezuela upset United States 3-2 to win World Baseball Classic
March 17, 2026
MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Venezuela stunned the United States' star-studded "dream team" 3-2 to win the World Baseball Classic for the first time o...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Budget Debate: Few Jamaicans are comfortable with high level of police fatal shootings, says Golding
Latest News, News
Budget Debate: Few Jamaicans are comfortable with high level of police fatal shootings, says Golding
March 17, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Few Jamaicans are comfortable with the “very high level of police fatal shootings, sometimes in circumstances where there are no l...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
48-hour curfew imposed in sections of Kingston Eastern
Latest News, News
48-hour curfew imposed in sections of Kingston Eastern
March 17, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A 48-hour curfew has been imposed in sections of the Kingston Eastern policing division. The curfew took effect at 6:00 pm on Tues...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Budget Debate: Golding says reasons offered by gov’t for terminating Cuban Medical Programme are unconvincing
Latest News, News
Budget Debate: Golding says reasons offered by gov’t for terminating Cuban Medical Programme are unconvincing
March 17, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Leader Mark Golding has described as “unconvincing” the reasons offered by the Jamaican Government for terminating the ...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Man accused of escaping custody, breaching bail remanded in court
Latest News, News
Man accused of escaping custody, breaching bail remanded in court
March 17, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A man accused of fleeing police custody after escaping from a Transport Authority vehicle was remanded when he appeared in the Kin...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Brazil starts to restrict minors’ access to social media
International News, Latest News
Brazil starts to restrict minors’ access to social media
March 17, 2026
BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) — Brazil began implementing new measures on Tuesday to restrict minors' access to social media and prevent them from viewing vi...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
Labour ministry and Jamaica Household Workers’ Union sign MOU
Latest News, News
Labour ministry and Jamaica Household Workers’ Union sign MOU
March 17, 2026
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Jamaica Household Workers’ Union (JHWU) have signed a memorandum of understandi...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
White House pressure on Cuba mounts as island fights power cut
International News, Latest News
White House pressure on Cuba mounts as island fights power cut
March 17, 2026
HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — Washington heaped pressure on Cuba's communist authorities Tuesday to allow free-market reforms as the impoverished island scramb...
{"jamaica-observer":"Jamaica Observer"}
❮ ❯

Polls

HOUSE RULES

  1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper; email addresses will not be published.
  2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.
  3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.
  4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.
  5. Please don't use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed: advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.
  6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.
  7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

Archives

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Tweets

Polls

Recent Posts

Archives

Logo Jamaica Observer
Breaking news from the premier Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer. Follow Jamaican news online for free and stay informed on what's happening in the Caribbean
Featured Tags
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Health
  • Auto
  • Business
  • Letters
  • Page2
  • Football
Categories
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Page2
Ads
img
Jamaica Observer, © All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feeds
  • Feedback
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Code of Conduct