Investing.com -- The ruling Liberals in Canada suffered a defeat in a special election in the western province of British Columbia, according to provisional results revealed on Tuesday.
This event has added to the existing political challenges faced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The minority Liberal government was hit with another setback on Monday when Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced her unexpected resignation.
She cited policy disagreements with Trudeau, who she claimed had proposed she take on a reduced role.
Over the past 18 months, numerous opinion polls have indicated that the official opposition Conservatives are likely to defeat the Liberals in the upcoming election. In the 2021 election, the Liberals narrowly secured a win with 39% of the votes, slightly surpassing the Conservatives who received 36%.
Elections Canada reported that the Conservatives won 66% of the votes in Monday's election in the Cloverdale—Langley City constituency, leaving the Liberals trailing in second place with 16%. The election was conducted to fill a vacant seat.
This loss marks the third consecutive time the Liberals have been defeated by the Conservatives in a special election.
Following the defeat, Liberal legislators met with Trudeau on Monday night, with some reiterating their demands for his resignation.
Chad Collins, a legislator from Ontario, Canada's most populous province and a Liberal stronghold, voiced the sentiment of some members. "We're not united. There's still a number of our members who feel we need a change in leadership," he stated. Collins suggested that the only way forward was to select a new leader and present Canadians with a new plan and vision.
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