Canada: 2021 general election

24 political parties contested the elections, although, as with previous elections, only the Conservatives or Liberals were likely to form a government.

The election campaign took place during Canada’s fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and this issue dominated much of the campaign. The two leading parties offered different approaches to tackling the health crisis and rebuilding the economy.

The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in the first half of the campaign helped buoy the opposition Conservative party in the opinion polls, but the Liberals gained momentum in the latter stages as pandemic recovery plans became the focus and Trudeau was able to highlight his government’s success in rolling out the vaccine.

Election results published by Elections Canada show the Liberal Party secured the most seats in the House of Commons – despite not winning the popular vote – taking 159 seats, with the Conservatives on 119.

The results were almost identical to those of the 2019 election and Justin Trudeau will serve a third term as Prime Minister, leading a minority government.