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Photo by Francis Vachon /Postmedia“It’s a great time to be a Liberal in Canada.”Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThose were the words of a smiling Tanveer Shahnawaz, the Liberal candidate in Beaches—East York, celebrating his victory Monday night. They may also be the political understatement of the year. Shahnawaz was one of three Liberals who swept Monday’s federal by-elections, winning his Toronto riding with 56 per cent of the vote. The party also held North Vancouver—Capilano in B.C. and took Chicoutimi—Le Fjord from the Conservatives in Quebec.That last victory matters most. Chicoutimi—Le Fjord had been held since 2018 by Conservative MP Richard Martel, who Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed to the Senate in July. The contest was expected to be a tough battle between the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois. Instead, Liberal Daniel Gobeil won handily with 51 per cent of the vote, the Bloc got 33 per cent, and the Conservatives collapsed to 13 per cent.The National Post newsletter that doesn’t hold back, giving readers the unvarnished truth on media, politics and culture.By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Right? will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againGobeil’s candidacy was a clever play in a region that has been hard hit by U.S. tariffs. The former head of Quebec’s milk producers entered politics just as the trade war came to a boil, with Canada’s dairy supply management system on the front burner. Monday night, Gobeil declared that the Liberals’ wins helped “maintain Canadian unity.”Therein lies the particular — and familiar — genius of the Liberals’ strategy.As Canada goes elbows-up in response to U.S. President Donald Trump, the Liberal Party is steadily identifying its brand with the nation itself. It’s a page from a very old Liberal playbook: Lester B. Pearson gave Canada the red-and-white Maple Leaf flag in the 1960s, while Pierre Trudeau championed official bilingualism and multiculturalism in the 1970s. Over generations, Liberal governments successfully conflated Canadian identity with party colours, symbols, policies, and institutions, cementing their reputation as Canada’s “natural governing party.” Carney is now pulling off the 21st-century version, with Trump supplying copious amounts of glue.The biggest losers Monday night were therefore the Conservatives. No one expected them to win Beaches–East York, but they captured just 15.5 per cent of the vote there, while the NDP tripled their vote share to 26 per cent. But Chicoutimi–Le Fjord was far worse, losing a seat they had held for eight years, and handing Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet a devastating, if obvious, line: Canada might have a two-party system of Liberals and Conservatives, but Quebec has one between the Liberals and Bloc.The results follow more grim numbers for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. A Liaison Strategies poll released Monday put the Liberals at 46 per cent and the Conservatives at just 29 per cent, their lowest level in the pollster’s tracking. That will inevitably revive questions about Poilievre’s leadership just as Parliament prepares to return.But Monday’s results may have implications beyond Ottawa. In Quebec, the Trump effect could breathe life into a party that only months ago was the walking dead: the Coalition Avenir Québec.Like Ontario Premier Doug Ford in the provincial election in 2025, and Carney in the federal race that same year, CAQ leader Christine Fréchette has made Trump a central character in her campaign, calling him her “real adversary.” Even more remarkably, the leader of a party created to transcend the federalist-sovereigntist divide is making a baldly federalist appeal: faced with an unpredictable and hostile United States, Quebec is safer within Canada — and the CAQ is the best party to stave off the separatist designs of the Parti Québécois.It may be working. Polls by Pallas Data poll and Leger show the CAQ rising to second place, while the Quebec Liberals are falling. Meanwhile PQ leader Paul St. Pierre Plamondon declared that he would postpone a referendum until after Trump leaves office. With Canadians rallying around the flag, incumbency, stability and unity are the political currency du jour, regardless of the party that’s selling them.Tasha Kheiriddin is Postmedia’s national politics columnist. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.