Trudeau wins, but with lesser mandate

After a tumultuous five-week campaign, Justin Trudeau won a second term as Canada's prime minister on Monday, but this time he will lead a minority government.

Unlike its resounding victory four years ago, Trudeau's Liberal Party won 157 seats, 13 short of the 170 needed for a majority in the 338-seat House of Commons. That means it will need the help of at least one of the opposition parties, most likely the New Democratic Party (NDP).

During the campaign, polling showed Trudeau and Conservative leader Andrew Scheer neck-and-neck, and many divisions were seen in the results, with most of the Liberal seats coming in eastern provinces, while Conservatives dominated in the west.

Trudeau said "Canadians rejected division and negativity" during his victory speech early Tuesday.

"They rejected cuts and austerity and they voted in favor of a progressive agenda and strong action on climate change," the 47-year-old prime minister said. "And to Canadians in Alberta and Saskatchewan, know that you are an essential part of our great country. I've heard your frustration, and I want to be there to support you. Let us all work hard to bring our country together."

Meanwhile, Scheer, speaking to reporters in Regina, said he is looking forward to heading back to Ottawa with a larger Conservative team.

"Tonight, Conservatives have put Justin Trudeau on notice, and Mr. Trudeau, when your government falls, Conservatives will be there, and we will win," the opposition leader warned.

Commentators said the Liberals' success comes with significant challenges.

Sean Simpson, vice-president of Ipsos, said energy issues and the Trans Mountain pipeline are the largest challenges for Trudeau, now that the Liberals are a minority.

The hot issues for the new Liberal government include climate change, healthcare, taxation and budgets. The Liberals pledged to increase the price on greenhouse gas emissions to $50 a tonne by 2022.

Although Trudeau faces many more challenges, both his father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, and ex-prime minister Stephen Harper used minority governments as a "springboard" to a subsequent majority government.

Jonathan Malloy, a political scientist at Carleton University, told Canadian media it's a great opportunity for Trudeau to re-energize disillusioned supporters. "There may still be much to go in the Justin Trudeau era," Malloy said.

In his concession speech, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said New Democrats are going to Ottawa to work with the Liberals and "fight for Canadians".

A breakthrough in the federal election was that many more Chinese-Canadian politicians were running for Parliament. There were 40 Chinese candidates from different ridings across Canada, and are now eight in Parliament, including three who were newly elected.

"I am very happy to see an increased interest in this election in the Chinese Canadian community," said Ping Tan, a Canadian lawyer and national chair of the National Congress of Chinese Canadians.

"On Canada-China relations, Trudeau needs to take very strong leadership and to take very bold decisions to break the deadlock and move the relation forward," Tan continued. "His father established diplomatic relations with China in 1970, when he was against very strong opposition inside and outside Canada. He needs the same kind of decisiveness in handling the China issue."

Stephen Siu, president of the Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation, said: "It will not be an easy path for the minority Liberal government. A lot of tactical maneuvering has to be done to strike a cooperative stand and to win some support from other parties. The Liberal Party has been more friendly to China than other parties. We are hoping that the current Sino-Canadian relationship can be improved in the months to come under Justin Trudeau's leadership."