Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is expected to lose his seat in the 2025 federal election.
But he said he will “continue to fight” for Canadians and work with the new Liberal government to protect Canada.
CBC News and CTV News have projected that Poilievre will lose his riding of Carleton to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy.
But the Conservative leader didn’t resign like NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Instead, he said that he will “continue to fight” for Canadians.
“We could not be more proud, we could not be more grateful for the opportunity Canadians have given us,” Poilievre said in a speech on election night.
“To the millions of people who voted for the Conservative Party and put their hopes and dreams in our vision, thank you. It will be an honour to continue to fight for you and to be a champion of your cause as we go forward.”
“We denied the Liberals and the NDP enough seats to form a coalition government, and we did all of this in a very difficult environment,” he continued.
Poilievre noted that despite keeping the Liberals and NDP at bay, the Conservatives “didn’t quite get over the finish line.”
“We know that change is needed, but change is hard to come by. It takes time. It takes work, and that’s why we have to learn the lessons of tonight so that we can have an even better result the next time Canadians decide the future of the country,” he said.
“Canadians have opted for a razor-thin minority government, a virtual tie in the vote count. So, I would like to congratulate Prime Minister Carney on leading this minority government,” Poilievre said.
Then, people in the crowd booed.
“No, no,” Poilievre said. “We’ll have plenty of time to debate and disagree, but tonight we come together as Canadians.”
“We will do our job to hold the government to account, but first, we congratulate people from all political backgrounds for participating in the political process.”
Liberals are projected to win the federal election, and Mark Carney is also expected to win his seat in Ottawa’s Nepean riding.
“While we will do our constitutional duty of holding the government to account and proposing better alternatives, we will always put Canada first as we stare down tariffs and other irresponsible threats from President Trump,” Poilievre continued.
He also noted that Conservatives will work with Carney and all parties to defend Canada and protect sovereignty.
“We hear your stories. We will carry those stories with us into Parliament,” Poilievre said.
“I know that some of you might be disappointed that change did not get over the finish line tonight. Change takes time. Most of all, it requires that we never give up because our people and our country are worth fighting for.”
You can read more about the projected results, Mark Carney’s victory speech, Jagmeet Singh’s resignation as NDP leader, and more at Narcity’s election hub.
This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
