Calgarians feeling mixed reactions about majority Liberal government

Alberta is digesting Monday's byelections, which saw a Liberal majority government return to Parliament. Alberta has just three Liberal MPs.

With a majority Liberal government now sitting in Ottawa, there are mixed feelings among those in Canada’s bluest province about how they are being represented in the House of Commons.

The federal Liberals swept three byelections on Monday night, giving the party its first majority rule in Parliament since 2019.

Mark Carney’s Liberals were first elected as a minority government last year in an whirlwind election that, just months before, many expected would elect a Conservative government.

Since then, four Conservative MPs and one NDP MP defected from their original parties to join the government benches.

Monday night’s victory marks a tough blow for the Conservatives, and has many Albertans digesting what the Liberal win means for how they will be represented in Ottawa.

Of Canada’s provinces and territories, Alberta plays host to the most Conservative MPs, holding 34 of the province’s 37 seats in the House of Commons.

One of those seats belongs to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who told reporters on Tuesday that despite the byelection results, he plans to stay on as party leader.

“I will continue to lead that fight in this house, across the country and in the next election,” the opposition leader and Battle River—Crowfoot MP said.

Making sense of Monday’s byelections

For some political experts, the Liberal victory reflects Carney’s ability to lead Canada through instability.

“These byelection results reflect that growth in not so much fandom for Mark Carney … but just see him as the stable adult in the room who can help navigate very choppy waters,” said Lori Williams with Mount Royal University’s department of policy studies.

But Calgary’s only Liberal representative in Ottawa says Albertans are interested in Carney’s leadership.

“What I’m hearing is a lot of optimism for the prime minister’s agenda and our desire to get things built in to get them done by working together,” Calgary Confederation MP Corey Hogan told CTV News.

Others say they are watching to see what policies come out of the majority government and how they impact local and global issues.

“The conversation between the USMCA (agreement) and tariffs and the agreement between other countries and the United States is more important than what could be domestic policy for the market ... but not for the economy,” said Faisal Karmali of the Popwich Karmali Advisory Group.

Liberal win adding fire to separatist cause

Some say they are no longer interested in working with Ottawa, and more Liberal representation could mean increased support for Alberta’s secession movement.

Polls have shown only a minority of Albertans want the province to separate, but people behind the separation movement say a Liberal majority could help drive their cause.

“This is just going to drive more and more Albertans to consider that independence is our only option,” said Jeffrey Rath with the Alberta Prosperity Project.

Mixed reactions in Calgary

Meanwhile along Calgary’s 17 Avenue, many had mixed reactions.

“I don’t think anyone voted for a Liberal majority,” Drewe Rudichuk told CTV News. “I’d rather the federal government have nothing to do with us.”

Meanwhile, Murray McIntyre said he thought the Liberal government “is doing a good job handling Trump,” while Gray Burdon added he “can’t complain so far” about the Carney government.

“It’s working for them so let people like Carney,” Rick Musial told CTV News. “It’s an improvement on the previous guy, right?”