Three Liberal MPs sworn in, securing Carney majority

OTTAWA - Three Liberal MPs elected in byelections earlier this month took their seats in the House of Commons on Monday, cementing a majority for Prime Minister Mark Carney's government.

Doly Begum, Danielle Martin and Tatiana Auguste were sworn in as members of Parliament on Saturday. Begum and Martin, both newcomers, won Toronto-area ridings vacated by outgoing cabinet ministers Bill Blair and Chrystia Freeland. Auguste secured the seat in Terrebonne, a traditional stronghold for the Bloc Québécois, in a rematch prompted by the Supreme Court of Canada's invalidation of the riding's results from last April's federal election.

The victories brought the number of Liberals in the Commons to 174, bolstered by five MPs from other parties who defected to the governing side over the past six months. This shift provides Carney's administration with a clear majority, enabling it to pass legislation without relying on support from opposition parties.

The timing coincides with further changes in the opposition ranks. New Democratic Party MP Alexandre Boulerice announced his resignation Monday to pursue a provincial candidacy, reducing the NDP caucus to five members. Boulerice, a longtime...