Terrebonne By-Election: Liberals' Majority Hangs in Balance

0:00It's March 27. This is Canada News Today, powered by AI, I'm Cory with the story. A bi-election in the Montreal area riding of Terrebonne on April 13 could tip the balance of power in Canada's House of Commons. Right now, with three C's vacant, Liberals need 173 C's for a true majority to pass bills freely, not the usual 100, 72 out of 343. They're expected to hold two Toronto strongholds, putting them at 172 if they win Terrebonne. The riding went to Liberals by just one vote in April 2025, but the Supreme Court tossed that result last month over irregularities, paving the way for Blocke Bayquay candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Dezgagne to challenge again. If she wins, opposition holds 171 seats against the government's 172. The twist comes from the Liberal Speaker, Francis Scarpelegia, who rarely votes but breaks ties to maintain the status quo voting against final bill.

1:01Passage, but for earlier debates, on confidence matters like the budget, it's unclear how he'd lean, leaving Liberals needing extra opposition support to avoid deadlocks. Experts at University of Ottawa, Professor Genevieve Tellier, say the government might sacrifice the speaker for an opposition pick, recruit, floor crossers, or even parole parliament to reset the speakership or call a snap election. This razor-thin scenario means every vote counts, forcing parties to negotiate or risk instability as the bi-election wraps up.