Carney Says He Takes Byelection Wins as Support for His Government’s Plan

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he views his party’s three recent byelection victories as a sign that voters support his government and its plan.

“I think the message is clear. Voters have put their trust in our government,” Carney told reporters in Ottawa on Sept. 1. “We accept that with humility and determination.”

Carney thanked the Liberal candidates in the ridings of Beaches-East York, North Vancouver-Capilano, and Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, as well as “all the candidates who put themselves forward, their teams, their volunteers for all the hard work.”

Each of the Liberal candidates won more than 50 percent of the vote in their respective ridings. Carney said he believes this shows “Canadians are united” and that his government’s plan is “working” despite it being “early days.”

The Quebec riding of Chicoutimi-Le Fjord was won by Liberal Daniel Gobeil with 51.3 percent of the vote, while Bloc Québécois candidate Caroline Dubé obtained 32.9 percent of the vote, and Conservative candidate Régis Gaudreault received 12.5 percent. The riding was previously held by Conservative MP Richard Martel, who Carney appointed to the Senate in July.

In Toronto, the riding of Beaches-East York was won by Liberal candidate Tanveer Shahnawaz with 55.7 percent of the vote, followed by the NDP candidate Shannon Devine with 25.8 percent, and Conservative candidate Jim Syrbos with 15.5 percent. Shahnawaz previously served as constituency office manager for former Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who resigned in July.

North Vancouver-Capilano Liberal candidate Braeden Caley won with 58.6 percent of the vote in B.C., while Conservative Stephen Curran came in second with 29.2 percent, and the Green Party’s Shelley Luce finished third with 8.7 percent. Caley was formerly Prime Minister Carney’s deputy chief of staff.

The Conservative Party thanked its three riding candidates and their teams in a statement on social media, saying they worked “tirelessly to share our Conservative vision to make life more affordable and our streets safer, while listening to Canadians and standing up for your communities.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre released a video on Sept. 1 of his visit to Windsor, Ont., which has been affected by the U.S. tariffs on the auto sector, while asking for lower taxes and cutting red tape in another video.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said prior to the Quebec byelection that U.S. President Donald Trump was the “problem” but Carney was “not the solution,” while saying his party is focused on regional development, phosphate production, supply management, and preserving the French language and culture.