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Canadian opposition leader Poilievre loses parliamentary seat, CBC projects

Ana Faguy
BBC News, Toronto
Getty Images Pierre Poilievre stands behind a lecternGetty Images

Canadian Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre is projected to have lost his seat in the House of Commons, according to public broadcaster CBC.

The report of Poilievre's defeat in an Ottawa-area riding (constituency) came after his party was defeated nationwide by Mark Carney's Liberal Party.

Before President Donald Trump returned to power in the neighbouring US, Poilievre and his Conservatives were predicted to win at the Canadian polls. But new trade tariffs issued by Trump - coupled with his threats to make Canada the 51st American state - appear to have changed the race.

In his seat, Poilievre also faced a challenge from local advocates wanting to change an electoral system.

Liberal Party candidate Bruce Fanjoy is projected by CBC to win the Carleton seat that Poilievre held for two decades.

There has been no immediate reaction from Poilievre. He is not the only anticipated casualty among party leaders. The NDP's Jagmeet Singh has said he will step down as party leader after losing his own seat.

Earlier on Tuesday morning - while conceding the election as a whole to Carney - Poilievre described the nationwide results as a "virtual tie" and said he wanted Canadians to come together to "hold the government to account".

The Conservatives are set to remain in opposition as the second-largest party. Like the Liberals, they saw a significant rise in their share of the national vote compared to four years ago - despite Poilievre's projected result being a personal blow.

Ahead of the race, local media outlets suggested he could struggle in his riding - but the Conservative party largely dismissed the threats.

He was opposed by a protest group, the Longest Ballot Committee, which advocates for the abolition of Canada's first-past-the-post electoral system.

The group registered dozens of challengers in the riding, which some media predicted could make the seat harder for Poilievre to win.

Some 90 other candidates appeared on the ballot alongside Poilievre in the Carleton riding - giving voters a long ballot to vote on.

As a conservative, Poilievre also struggled to maintain distance from Trump. Poilievre previously praised the US president, but sought to highlight their differences after Trump intensified his trade war.

Poilievre, who hails from Calgary, Alberta, had held his seat since 2005. He was the youngest MP at the time he was elected.

The 45-year-old rose to power in 2022 when he won a landslide victory to become leader of the Conservative Party.

The words "Canada election" on a red background with a white maple leaf