The results are in from Monday’s election north of the border, and Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to serve a second term leading Canada. But, his party did not win a majority in parliament, so he’ll have to form a minority government.
That means Trudeau's Liberals will likely join with the New Democratic Party (NDP) to form a coalition, according to Professor Jeffrey Ayres of St. Michael's College in Colchester, where he focuses on Canadian politics.
Jeffrey Ayres spoke to VPR's Henry Epp. Listen to their full conversation above.
Ayres said one area where Liberals and the NDP may differ is the development of oil and gas pipelines in the western part of the country, where Trudeau's party did poorly in Monday's election.
"It's going to be a challenge for him to address the concerns of people out west, but yet rely on a party such as the New Democratic Party that seems quite hostile to pipelines," Ayres said.
Another challenge is the ratification of a new trade deal between the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Mexico's government has ratified the deal, but it has yet to be approved by either the U.S. Congress or Canada's Parliament. Ayres said he expects Canada to ratify the deal, but it may have to be done by an odd coalition of parties.
"What could happen is the Liberals could turn to the Conservatives," Ayres said. The potential coalition between the Liberals and the NDP won't be a formal one, he added, meaning the Liberal party may need to look in different directions for support on legislative issues.
