Canadian PM Trudeau says ‘there’s more work to do’ as his party loses long-held seat in Quebec
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s Liberal Party was handed another loss at the ballot box on Monday.
Louis-Philippe Sauvé won on the Bloc Québécois’ ticket to represent LaSalle-Émard-Verdun in parliament against Trudeau’s personally endorsed candidate, Liberal Laura Palestini.
CANADA’S POILIEVRE SIGNALS PLANS FOR NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE AGAINST TRUDEAU GOVERNMENT
The race was a tight one, with Sauvé taking in 28 percent of the vote. The Bloc Québécois candidate beat the Liberal candidate by less than 250 votes according to Elections Canada results.
“Obviously it would have been nicer to be able to win,” said Trudeau in Ottowa in a press conference Tuesday. “…But there’s more work to do.”
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, during a news conference at a cabinet retreat in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. Canada will impose new tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, aluminum and steel, lining up behind western allies and taking steps to protect domestic manufacturers. (Dean Casavechia/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The big thing is to make sure that Canadians understand the choice they get to make in the next election,” Trudeau added.
Trudeau has held the position of Prime Minister for nine years, meaning the Liberal Party has maintained power in the Canadian parliament for nearly a decade.
CANADA LAUNCHES SUDDEN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN AMID PUBLIC PRESSURE: REPORT
In a recent Ipsos poll tracking the “best Prime Minister,” Canadians rate Trudeau at 26%. For comparison, Canada’s Conservative Party PM candidate Pierre Poilievre was given a 45% rating in the same poll.
The Liberal Party has lost other by-elections over the course of the summer. Toronto-St. Paul’s fell from being considered a Liberal stronghold in June when the Conservatives won the seat by a hair.
Bloc Quebecois candidate Louis-Philippe Sauve greets supporters as he arrives at the party’s byelection night party on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press via AP)
The Bloc Québécois, which describes itself as “the only party who defends the interests of Quebec,” seeks independence from Canada.
Sauvé, the new Bloc Québécois MP, said “it was a roller coaster night, I had many emotions,” in a press conference.
“But today I’m feeling good. I’m feeling grateful, grateful towards the people in my neighborhood of having chosen me as their MP,” Sauvé added.
Prime Minister Trudeau is up for re-election on October 25, 2025.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
