Liberals Sweep 3 Canada Elections      09/01 06:32

   

   TORONTO (AP) -- Canada's Liberals swept three special elections Monday in a 
result that showed voters backing Prime Minister Mark Carney for standing up 
against U.S. President Donald Trump.

   The Canadian Press, Canada's national news agency, projected Liberal 
victories in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord in Quebec, Beaches-East York in Toronto and 
North Vancouver-Capilano in British Columbia.

   Carney said the results amounted to an endorsement of his government's 
approach. "At this consequential time for Canada, voters have placed their 
trust in our government's plan," he said in a statement.

   The Quebec result was the most dramatic shift. Liberal Daniel Gobeil was 
projected to win big in Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, a district held by the opposition 
Conservatives since 2018. The region is home to aluminum producers, dairy farms 
and other industries caught in the escalating trade war.

   "This victory means we can maintain Canadian unity all across the country," 
Gobeil said.

   The other two seats were previously held by Liberals. In British Columbia, 
Carney's former deputy chief of staff Braeden Caley won North 
Vancouver-Capilano.

   "The United States is getting a message tonight. Our leader has the support 
of the Canadian people," Liberal lawmaker Hedy Fry told the Canadian 
Broadcasting Corp. in an interview.

   U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed Aug. 21 after the two sides failed to 
reach a deal, and Trump imposed 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion in Canadian 
goods. Canada responded with plans for tariffs on U.S. products.

   Trump has escalated his attacks on Canada since the talks failed. He signed 
an executive order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America," and U.S. Treasury 
Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that Canada had limited leverage in the 
dispute because the U.S. economy is roughly 13 times larger.

   Trump has repeatedly talked about making Canada the 51st state.

   Carney has accelerated efforts to deepen economic ties with Europe and other 
partners.

   The Liberal sweep would bring Carney's party to 173 seats in the 343-seat 
House of Commons, further strengthening its position in Parliament.

   The special elections were called after the lawmakers who previously held 
the three seats resigned from Parliament earlier this year.

   Daniel Bland, a political-science professor at McGill University, said the 
Liberal sweep showed Carney retaining strong support across regions, but called 
the Quebec result the most significant. He said the easy win in Chicoutimi-Le 
Fjord likely reflected, in part, the popularity in Quebec of Carney's Aug. 21 
decision "to pull the plug on trade negotiations with the White House."

   Bland said the Conservative collapse there was also bad news for leader 
Pierre Poilievre. The party won the riding with 34% of the vote last year but 
fell to about 13% and third place Monday. "These numbers do look bad," he said.

   Carney won Canada's election last year, fueled by public anger over Trump's 
annexation threats, and he has vowed to reduce Canada's reliance on the U.S.