OTTAWA — The Liberal Party of Canada is three seats shy of a majority government.
With 169 of the 172 seats needed to control the house, and only one riding still undecided, its now projected the Liberal will form a minority government.
Newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney will have to work with the opposition as he leads the country's 45th parliament.
The Conservatives have secured 143 seats and are leading in one more, as of Tuesday afteroon. The Block Québécois has 22 seats. The NDP has secured only seven seats, 12 are needed to maintain official party status. The Green Party will send a single MP, party leader Elizabeth May, to Ottawa.
Carney has options for who he will work with, even the decimated New Democrats could hold the balance of power.
The election was a particularly tough one for party leaders, as several failed to hold on to their seats.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, and Green co-leader Jonathan Pedneault have not been re-elected.
This will be the second consecutive minority and the fourth straight term for the Liberals who have governed for the past decade.
The election was called on Sunday, March 23. At dissolution, the Liberals had 153 of 338 seats in the House of Commons – the most of any party, but not a majority. With five seats added in boundary redistribution, this election was for 343 seats nationwide.
