Liberal Party of Canada

Introduction
History
Policy and structure

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Justin Trudeau, wearing a suit and blue tie, waves while standing beside his wife Sophie Gregoire in a white coat, surrounded by cabinet members at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Map of Canada displaying the results of the 2015 federal election by province and territory, color-coded by party: Liberal (red), Conservative (blue), New Democratic Party (orange), and Bloc Quebecois (light blue for Quebec only). Each region shows the number of seats won by each party, with the Liberals dominating most provinces, especially in eastern and central Canada, while Conservatives hold most seats in Alberta and Saskatchewan. A legend at the bottom summarizes national seat totals for e

Map of Canada displaying the results of the 2008 federal election by province and territory, with regions shaded to indicate the leading party's share of the popular vote: blue for Conservative, red for Liberal, light blue for Bloc Quebecois, and orange for New Democratic Party. Each area is labeled with the number of seats won by each party, and a legend at the bottom summarizes national seat totals for each party.

Map of Canada showing the results of the 2006 federal election by province and territory, with regions color-coded to indicate the party with the highest percentage of the popular vote: blue for Conservative, red for Liberal, light blue for Bloc Quebecois, and orange for New Democratic Party. The map displays the number of seats won by each party in each region, with a legend and bar chart summarizing national seat totals.

At a Glance

Liberal Party of Canada summary

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External Websites

The Canadian Encyclopedia - Liberal Party
Official Site of the Liberal Party of Canada

Liberal Party of Canada

political party, Canada

Also known as: LP, Parti Libéral du Canada

Written by

David Rayside

Professor of Political Science, University College, University of Toronto. Author of On the Fringe: Gays and Lesbians in Politics and A Small Town in Modern Times: Alexandria.

David Rayside

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026 •History

Liberal Party of Canada, centrist Canadian political party, one of the major parties in the country since the establishment of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. The Liberal Party has been the governing party at the federal level for most of the period since the late 1890s, bringing together pragmatic social policy reformers and advocates of free enterprise, the balance between them shifting as leaders and context changed. The Liberal Party traditionally has been described...

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