After Montreal byelection loss, Trudeau says ‘we have a lot of work to do’
“It would’ve been nicer to win and hold Verdun but there’s more work to do but we’re going to stay focused on doing it,” Trudeau told reporters outside a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning.
Kkritika Suri
Following a significant byelection defeat in a longtime Montreal stronghold, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged that the Liberals have "a lot of work to do." Speaking after the loss of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun to the Bloc Québécois, Trudeau said, "It would’ve been nicer to win and hold Verdun, but there’s more work to do, and we’re going to stay focused on doing it." He addressed questions about his leadership by emphasizing, "We have a lot of work to do, and we’re going to continue to do it."
This defeat marks the second loss of a traditional Liberal stronghold in recent months, following their June loss in Toronto-St Paul’s. When asked what went wrong, Trudeau stated, “There’s all sorts of reflections to take on that, but the big thing is to make sure Canadians understand the choice they get to make in the next election about the kind of country we are really matters.”
Elections Canada reported that the Bloc Québécois won the Montreal seat by just 248 votes. The seat became available when former justice minister David Lametti retired from politics.
A recent Ipsos poll conducted for Global News highlighted a drop in support for Trudeau's government, showing just 33% approval—a four-point decline since June. Darrell Bricker, global CEO of Ipsos public affairs, pointed out that Trudeau himself may be part of the issue, noting, “It’s not just the government message that’s unappealing to voters, but the messenger — Trudeau.”
Despite these setbacks, another recent Ipsos poll indicated that most Canadians are not in favor of an early election. The next federal election is scheduled for no later than October 2025.
In another key byelection, the NDP retained control of the Elmwood-Transcona riding in Winnipeg, where NDP candidate Leila Dance narrowly defeated Conservative Colin Reynolds. Dance emphasized the community’s focus on issues such as health care and cost of living. While the NDP won 48.1% of the vote, Reynolds increased the Conservative share to 44%, a substantial rise from 28% in the 2021 election.
