2025 Canadian Federal Election Report

Final Counts

LIBERALS: 169 Seats
CONSERVATIVES: 144 Seats
Bloc Quebecois: 22 Seats
NDP: 7 Seats
GREEN Party: 1 Seat

A Minority Government Scenario

When there is a minority government, decision-making power is shared between different political parties, rather than being concentrated in the governing party. Depending on how many MPs the governing party has, one or more of the opposition parties could be the deciding factor during a vote. In such cases, political parties with a small number of MPs can hold a lot of decision-making power.

This can change the way that the government functions for the duration of the Parliament and can lead to some of the following situations:

Legislative compromise: The government must draft bills that other political parties would be willing to support. The government often needs to adjust and adapt its priorities to stay in power and reflect the interests of MPs from other parties.
Increased influence by the opposition parties: The opposition has more direct power during a minority government. At any point, the government can fall through a confidence vote – a declaration that the majority of MPs no longer supports the current government. This can lead to an early election. Opposition parties can use this risk as leverage to change bills to reflect their own priorities. As a result, laws from a minority government tend to include elements put forward by different political parties.
Limitations on legislation: Since the government requires the support of at least one other political party, a minority government might not be able to pass as many laws as a majority government can.
Instability: Minority governments are less likely to last a full four-year term than majority governments. Governments can fall to confidence votes, or the Prime Minister can request an early election in the hope of winning a majority.

Forming of the Government

The opening of a Parliament follows a general election. It is also the opening of the first session of that Parliament. Two procedures—the swearing-in of members and the election of the Speaker—distinguish it from the opening of subsequent sessions. Each session is opened by a new Speech from the Throne, read in the Senate by the Governor General.
All members of the House of Commons must be sworn in before taking their seat, whether they are newly-elected or returning for a second or subsequent term. As part of this ceremony, in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution Act, 1867, members take part in an oath of allegiance (oath of loyalty to the Sovereign) or a solemn affirmation (an alternative to the oath of allegiance and has the same effect).
The Prime Minister selects a number of confidential advisers, usually from among the members of the governing party, who are made members of the Privy Council and sworn in as ministers. Collectively, they are known as the “Ministry” or cabinet. The cabinet is the key decision-making forum in the federal government, responsible for its administration and the establishment of its policy. Expect the Cabinet to be formed over the next two – three weeks.

Significant Liberal Party Platform Policies

Mark Carney announced a new Liberal plan to invest in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and to protect our sovereignty in an increasingly dangerous and divided world.

Expand the capabilities of the Navy with new submarines and additional heavy icebreakers to defend the North.
Fully commit to all orders underway through the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) where 21,400 jobs across the country and thousands of jobs for Irving Shipbuilding have been supported by the Strategy through the construction of 8 Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and 15 River Class Destroyers.
We will work with all of Canada’s shipyards to ensure that we are maximizing their capabilities and using Canadian steel and aluminum.
We will expand the reach and abilities of the Canadian Coast Guard and integrate them into our NATO defence capabilities. Our Coast Guard carries out important work, but we need to update their mission to face changing realities to protect our sovereignty and counter criminal activity, like the trafficking of illicit drugs. That’s why we will give the Canadian Coast Guard a new mandate—and the right equipment—to conduct maritime surveillance operations to secure our coasts.
Fill the CAF’s shortage of 14,500 members by modernizing our recruitment process, giving all CAF members a well-deserved raise, building new on-base housing, and improving access to doctors, mental health services, and childcare; and
We will ensure that Canadian troops defending Canada at home have the same equipment capabilities as those defending our allies abroad.
We will end the chronic lapsing of defence spending, through the creation of a defence capital account that ensures that even when the timing of an investment changes, every dollar assigned to Canada’s defence will remain for that purpose.
From CAF infrastructure, including Naval infrastructure in Halifax, to build-ready assets or ready-to-be-purchased equipment, we must invest immediately with no excuse for leaving funds on the table to improve Canada’s defence capabilities.
We will deliver an unprecedented acceleration of investment in our Armed Forces so that we can defend every inch of our sovereign territory, while also helping to support and defend our allies abroad.
Partner with our allies on procurement for the next generation of aircrafts.
We will modernize our procurement legislation to ensure our Forces can buy the equipment that they need, when they need it—which is now. We can also swiftly surpass our existing defence spending targets and bolster our capabilities by investing in dual purpose infrastructure—whether housing, cybersecurity, or satellite technology—that delivers immediate benefits for both our Forces and the public.
Creating a first-in-class drone capability that will build and deploy aquatic and airborne uncrewed vehicles to defend our arctic, our undersea infrastructure, our borders, and our allies. This new capability will be matched with an industrial strategy that builds and perfects these technologies so that Canadian companies benefit from Canadian procurements.

Mark Carney’s Liberals announce plan to diversify Canadian trade by improving Canada’s trade enabling infrastructure.

We will inject $5 billion into a new Trade Diversification Corridor Fund, to build the infrastructure that will help diversify our trade partners, create good jobs and drive economic growth. This fund will accelerate nation-building projects at ports, railroads, inland terminals, airports, and highways. This will build one Canadian economy and diversify our trade away from the United States.
Authorize Canadian ports to cooperate instead of compete, in order to maximize efficiencies by leveraging comparative advantages.
Strengthen the security of our ports to stop the flow of drugs such as fentanyl and its precursors, as well as illegal guns and stolen autos.

Mark Carney’s Liberals to make Canada the world’s leading energy superpower

Kickstart the clean energy supply chain by investing in critical minerals by:
connecting critical mineral projects to supply chains via a new First and Last Mile Fund (FLMF), creating a more integrated and accessible Canadian economy;
directly supporting clean energy and critical minerals projects via the FLMF, reducing our reliance on other countries and protecting Canadian jobs;
accelerating exploration, as well as extraction from recycling, by investing in prospecting activities; and,
attracting, expanding and de-risking investment in critical mineral exploration and extraction with additional investments in and expansion of existing tax credits.
Get clean energy projects built quickly across Canada by:
fast-tracking Projects of National Interest, which will be jointly identified with provinces and territories and Indigenous peoples;
incentivizing Projects of National Interest by keeping the federal government’s current suite of investment tax credits for clean energy, finalizing the tax credits under development, and reinforcing the Canada Growth Fund, including by supporting carbon contracts for difference;
signing Cooperation and Substitution Agreements with all willing provinces, territories, and Indigenous Governing Bodies within six months, ensuring that projects only go through one review that uphold environmental standards and Indigenous Consultation;
establishing a Major Federal Project Office with a new comprehensive mandate to move forward with One Project, One Review, issuing decisions on major projects within two years instead of five, while fully upholding environmental integrity and Indigenous rights;
developing a trade and energy corridor, along with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners, for transport, energy, critical minerals and digital connectivity, including through the Trade Diversification Corridor Fund;
doubling the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 to $10 billion and expanding it to support more Indigenous-led infrastructure, transportation and trade projects across the country. This will make it easier for more Indigenous communities to become owners of major resource projects;
increasing capacity funding for Indigenous communities to engage on projects early and consistently; and,
working with project proponents, provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to do proactive remediation and rehabilitation work at project sites so projects move faster.
Secure Canada’s energy and electricity sovereignty by:
working with provinces and territories to build out an East-West electricity grid, in a historic nation-building project, to secure Canadians’ access to affordable, reliable, clean, Canadian electricity; and,
investing in Canada’s conventional and clean energy potential, so we can reduce our reliance on the United States and build trading relationships with reliable partners.