“He’s the only adult in the room”: How Toronto–St. Paul’s voters feel about Mark Carney’s red wave

All eyes were on Toronto–St. Paul’s last night. Just ten months ago, in a shocking by-election upset, the stretch of midtown turned blue for the first time in 30 years, becoming the sole downtown Toronto riding to go Conservative in a generation. At the time, Liberals saw the swing as a death knell for Justin Trudeau’s government, and the loss spurred urgent calls for his resignation from within the party.

Related: What a Pierre Poilievre election win would have meant for Toronto

This time around, many Torontonians and political commentators thought the fate of the battleground riding would signal the final outcome of the federal election. Sure enough, in another remarkable swing yesterday evening, St. Paul’s residents elected Liberal Leslie Church, who had lost last year’s by-election to Conservative Don Stewart by just 590 votes. We hit the Wychwood Barns polling station to ask voters about their thoughts on Carney and Poilievre, whether they voted strategically, and the issues that shaped their decisions at the ballot box.

John Smith, 64, content and process specialist

What are you looking for in a prime minister? Given what’s going on in the United States, given the change in direction Donald Trump is trying to produce in the world, we need someone who knows how to deal with issues abroad. They need to know how to deal with people—not just Canadians but internationally, in Europe, in Asia, all over the world. We need someone who knows how to do things. They have to be mature.

So which candidate did you entrust with taking on Trump?
Mark Carney was my choice because he’s the only adult in the room. The other guy talks like a Grade 10 debate club student who finished in fourth place.

Would you have voted Liberal regardless of whether Trudeau or Carney was leader? I’ve always been a Liberal.

How did it feel when this riding went blue last year? Like a swift kick in the nuts. Who is that guy Don Stewart? We’ve never seen him. We don’t know anything about him. He marched around Forest Hill talking about how he went to Forest Hill Collegiate, and that’s why people voted for him. Leslie Church is a smart and articulate person, and I think she’s going to represent us far better than he did.

Sandra Jackson, 73, retired early childhood educator

How did you feel going into this election? I was feeling nervous and ready for it to be over so that we could move on and grow our great country.

Which party leader will get us there?

I’m not necessarily into bankers or banking, but I feel confident that Mark Carney is the one who is going to move us forward.

And how do you feel about Pierre Poilievre? I really don’t like Poilievre, and I’m not alone. I’m a woman of a certain age, and many of us don’t like him because he’s not very nice. I don’t like a lot of the things he says. He is Trump-like. I don’t feel confident in his support of the LGBTQ community, women’s rights or health care.

Jennifer Mai, 40, health care worker

What brought you out today? We need a change. The old schoolers have their own mindset on politics, but the younger generation is coming out to vote, and we’re going to be the future. So it is really important that we have a say in this.

Who did you vote for? I voted Conservative. In the past, I’ve always voted Liberal, because my family are immigrants. But, now, for me, I’m going with more of a conservative view. Things have shifted—they aren’t the same as they used to be. And considering how our economy is, how the housing market is, we need a change. I’m looking forward to that.

So the switch from Trudeau to Carney didn’t convince you? No, they’re all on the same team. I’m not going to see a change coming from that. I’m looking for a new start to help everyone.

What kinds of changes would you like to see? We need more solutions instead of Band-Aids.

Thomas Carli, 21, musician

How do you feel about this election? With the political climate right now, this election feels like one of the most important ones we’ve ever had. Look at what is going on with our neighbours to the south—we don’t want our country to go in that direction. We are different from Americans, and I think we have a different set of values, as opposed to their very conservative, old-school ideologies.

Does that mean you voted strategically? Yes, I was voting strategically. I mean, I have always voted Liberal, but when I vote Liberal, it’s more a vote against the Conservatives. I want to stay away from those right-wing policies that I see happening in America. I support a lot of what the Liberal party does, maybe not everything, but they align with my ideologies a lot better than the Conservative party does.

Were you happy when Carney won the leadership earlier this year? Absolutely. It showed that the Liberals were willing to make a change for a person who was going to better suit the needs of Canadians. I think there were obvious problems with Justin Trudeau, and a lot of the country wasn’t happy with him, which is fair. This election would have been very different if Trudeau had stayed in office or hadn’t stepped down the way he did. It was an important move.

What was your reaction when St. Paul’s flipped to Conservative last year? That was unfortunate, but I’ve been confident that it’s going to flip back. Leslie Church ran an amazing campaign.

Tony Greco, 60, between jobs

Do you know who you’re voting for today? I haven’t decided yet. I’m heading in right now, and it’s going to be a last-minute decision. I see all three parties as clowns. I’m not too happy with the choices I have, but, hey, that’s the democratic process right now: one elite versus another elite.

What’s factoring into your decision? I want to have a civil society. I’m not sure Poilievre’s anti-crime policies fits that bill for me, but I’m not sure Carney’s pro-economy stance is a fit for me, either. And I just don’t trust the NDP. Maybe my values are more aligned with them, but they have so many stupid policies that I can’t handle. So I’m really still undecided.

Were you undecided in last year’s by-election? No—I was so pissed about the way the Liberals were handling things that I voted with my anger. I’m not naturally a Conservative voter, but I wanted to send a message.

You don’t have a message for anyone today? No message. There’s just no good choice for me. I’m voting because it’s my right, and I’m going to do it, but I’m not really sure, honestly.

Gillian Muller, nearly 50, screenwriter

Did you vote strategically today? I did not. I voted with my morals and for the party I wanted.

Who got your vote? I voted NDP because of where they stand on issues relating to everyday Canadians. The NDP has always stood up for unions, and they represent—morally and financially—the kind of middle class I’d like to see Canada have.

It’s no surprise that the NDP are in a tight position federally.  It’s beyond my control. I voted because it’s my right to vote, and a lot of people made sacrifices, including my immigrant parents, for me to do so. I’m allowed to vote whichever way I want to. I voted with my heart, and whatever happens is what Canadians want. I will continue to fight for what I believe in.

Were you disappointed when your riding went blue last year? I’m really disappointed in the swing to Conservative. I don’t think that is the nature of this community or Canada. We are supposed to be here for one another. We pay for one another’s health care. So that’s not my Canada. I think the swing to conservatism is a pure reaction to American politics, and I think that’s short-sighted and doesn’t help us grow our riding or country.

Melissa McCaughey, 46, travel adviser

Who won your vote today? I voted for Mark Carney. I really believe that, in this moment in the world, we need him. He’s going to get the job done in a very difficult climate.

Do you typically vote Liberal? For a while, I was going to vote NDP because I was really unhappy with Trudeau. He needed to go. So I’m happy that things have played out the way they have.

Laurie Malabar, 63, retired storyteller

Did you vote strategically? Sadly, yes, for the first time in my life, because I felt it really mattered.

Who did you vote for? I’d rather not say.

Did Trudeau’s resignation as Liberal leader affect how you voted? Yes, the switch from Trudeau to Carney was the game changer for me. I would never have considered my particular voting style, or change of voting style, if that hadn’t happened.

What issue was most important to you this election? The economy. I voted for more stability because I’m an artist and we need economic stability in order to continue making art.

Morgan Sewell, 36, chef

Was it easy to cast your vote today? I felt clear about what I wanted to do and what result I didn’t want to see. It was pretty instinctual.

Who got your support? I’m voting Liberal. I pretty much always do. They have their problems, but the other candidates aren’t hitting the nail on the head for me. The Conservatives seem to be a little too buddy-buddy with the States. And Jagmeet Singh seems very nice, and I’d love to have a beer with him, but somebody who’s that far left shouldn’t own real estate or be a landlord. You can’t talk out both sides of your mouth like that, at least not in my opinion.

Would you have voted Liberal if Trudeau were running? I probably would have felt really weird voting for Trudeau. So the fresh face is at least something that makes it a little more palatable. I might have thought about voting for another party, maybe NDP. But Carney really sealed the deal.

These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.