Big Blitz Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 Conservatives won the longtime Liberal stronghold of Toronto-St. Paul's The outgoing Liberal MP for the riding, Carolyn Bennett, beat her Conservative opponent by about 24 points in 2021. This time around, Liberal candidate Leslie Church lost by about two points… Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he hears Canadians' "concerns and frustrations" as questions mount about his future as Liberal leader following his party's stunning byelection loss. Conservative Don Stewart won the longtime federal Liberal stronghold of Toronto-St. Paul's in the early hours of Tuesday in a dramatic win, ending a race that was largely viewed as a referendum on Trudeau's leadership. "This was obviously not the result we wanted, but I want to be clear that I hear your concerns and frustrations," Trudeau said in a media statement. He did not take questions from reporters. Before Monday's close vote, a Conservative candidate hadn't been competitive in Toronto-St. Paul's since the 1980s. The party hadn't won a seat in urban Toronto since the 2011 federal election. Éric Grenier, a polling analyst who runs thewrit.ca, said that while the polls suggested the byelection would be close, even the Conservatives likely were surprised by the win. "Could it get much worse for the Liberals? This is perhaps one of the worst results that they could have had right now because they're going into the summer, there's been lots of questions about Justin Trudeau's leadership," he said. "This is a big loss for the Liberals and it's a symbolic loss. I think there are going to be a lot of questions that are going to start being asked over the next few weeks." Already, some Liberal MPs are musing behind the scenes about a shakeup. "I think he has to go or there has to be a dramatic change," one Liberal MP told CBC News Tuesday, speaking on the condition they not be named. Another Liberal MP, also speaking on the condition they not be named, said major changes are needed. "Does he have to go? I think it's difficult to see other options," they said. https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7245731 A breakdown of the stunning Tory win in Toronto–St. Paul's https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7245852 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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