A federal byelection in Terrebonne on April 13 could help the Liberals secure a majority government.

The vote was ordered after the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the Liberal candidate’s one-vote victory from the last federal election due to an uncounted mail-in ballot.

The rematch will see Liberal candidate Tatiana Auguste face Bloc Québécois candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, who lost the seat by one vote last April.

“Every vote is equal, every vote should count,” Sinclair-Desgagné told Global News on Thursday. “Those are principles that are taught at a very young age.”

The outcome of the election was later challenged after it emerged that an Elections Canada employee had printed the wrong postal code on some mail-in ballots.

The Supreme Court of Canada officially annulled the result on Feb. 13.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.

Auguste said the situation has been a rollercoaster, but that she is ready to return to the campaign.

“I feel like it’s been a rollercoaster with everything that’s happened,” she said. “But I feel this chapter is closed and now we’re on to a new election and we’re ready, and I am very motivated.”

0:57
Carney sets April date for 3 byelections

Speaking in Terrebonne on Thursday, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said his party is ready for the new challenge.

“I often say that I want my adversaries as good as possible in order to force me, us, to be better and do better,” he said.

“I think we have learned that lesson. Watch us.”

The Terrebonne vote is one of three byelections taking place the same day, with two Toronto seats also up for grabs after Chrystia Freeland and Bill Blair vacated their seats.

A Liberal win in Terrebonne could give the party a majority with 172 seats, something Blanchet said should not influence voters.

“The main argument for the Liberals is (telling voters) that a vote for us (means) there will be no more election,” Blanchet said. “What the hell is that?”

3:08
NDP floor-crosser brings Carney’s Liberals to brink of majority

Auguste, who has had almost a year as MP, said she hopes voters now see her as a familiar face and believe she has proven herself worthy of the role.

“Since the beginning I have been very anchored in this election,” she said. “It’s about the community of people here in Terrebonne, it’s not about what’s happening at the national level.”

The Terrebonne riding had been held by the Bloc Québécois since 1993.

Sinclair-Desgagné has represented the seat from 2021 to 2025.

For the full story, watch the video above.

2:10
Supreme Court invalidates result from spring federal election in Terrebonne riding

Previous Video

Next Video

All eyes will be on three federal byelections in April as a sweep by the Liberals could put them in razor-thin majority territory.

Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday called byelections for the Ontario ridings of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, and the Quebec riding of Terrebonne. The votes will be held April 13.

The two Ontario ridings are those once held by former ministers Bill Blair and Chrystia Freeland, respectively.

Blair was appointed to be Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, while Freeland stepped down after taking on a voluntary role as advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Freeland is also taking the helm as CEO of the Rhodes Trust educational charity starting in July.

People in Scarborough may be watching to see if former provincial NDP deputy leader Doly Begum holds the long-time Liberal stronghold. Begum triggered a wave of political activity last month when she made the shock announcement she would resign from the Ontario NDP to run in this byelection for the federal Liberals.

But it’s the Quebec riding of Terrebonne that will be a focus point for many, after Liberal Tatiana Auguste lost her Montreal-area seat when the Supreme Court of Canada invalidated last year’s election result.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Elections Canada declared Auguste the winner over the Bloc-Quebecois’ Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagne by a single vote following the April 28 federal election.

3:18
Where does Edmonton MP’s defection to Liberals leave Conservatives, Poilievre?

Sinclair-Desgagne challenged the results when a supporter complained she had tried to vote by mail using a special ballot that was never counted. She won her case at the top court on Feb. 13.

Following the ruling, the Bloc announced Sinclair-Desgagne as their candidate and the Liberals officially nominated Auguste the same week, setting up a face-off once again.

The stakes could be higher on April 13, as the Liberals are three seats shy of the 172 seats needed for a majority government.

If they win all three byelections, that would put them at 172. Yet they could still run into difficulty as the Speaker of the House is a Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia. He would only vote with his party on matters of confidence to keep the House running. To maintain impartiality, House Speakers typically do not vote on legislation.

The Liberals have been able to get so close to a majority, in part, due to three Conservative MPs crossing the floor to join the government. Chris d’Entremont joined in the fall, with Michael Ma becoming a Liberal prior to the Christmas break. Matt Jeneroux also crossed last month after initially saying last fall he planned to resign his seat altogether.

Should the Liberals win Scarborough Southwest, University-Rosedale and Terrebonne, they would still need one more floor-crosser in order to have a working majority and be able to pass legislation without the support of another party.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.