The governing Liberal Party presented the election as the most important in decades as it sought a mandate to lead the country’s emergence from the pandemic. Instead, the election delivered little change, leaving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heading a minority government, most likely with support from the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) as before.
An expected cabinet shuffle will see new ministers at key departments including Justice and Foreign Affairs.
Provinces will drop their resistance to the proposed childcare programme, which will be in effect before the end of 2022.
No new pipelines will be proposed or built while Trudeau remains in office, given perceived government hostility to fossil fuels.
The transfer to the provinces of significant responsibility for healthcare will go ahead as decentralisation accelerates.
