The Election is Over, Now What?

In this episode of Establish, we speak with community organizer and environmentalist Aliya Hirji about Canada’s 2025 snap federal election, voter turnout, and the challenges of engaging young people in a fast-paced, often overwhelming political landscape. Together, they unpack the structural issues behind voter frustration, accessibility barriers, and what it takes to organize effectively in turbulent political times.

NOTE: This episode of Establish was initially recorded on the morning of April 29, 2025. Though a winner had been declared at this time, Elections Canada was still in the process of finalizing the last ballots. During the initial conversation between host Asha Swann (she/her) and guest Aliya Hirji (they/she), the Liberal Party had won with 168 seats. However, in the days passing, this number increased to 169, then decreased back to 168. In the days after, certain parts were re-recorded, such as the introductory segment, to reflect these new changes. However, because of these changes there are certain points in the episode where host Asha Swann (she/her) says the Liberals are three seats shy of a majority. By May 3, this number had changed once again. Now, as of May 5, a recent recount of one riding has confirmed that the Liberals still have a minority government with the total seat count being 169. Please keep this in mind as you listen to this episode.

For all information on how these votes have been recounted and for all up-to-date information on which parties hold what seats, please visit Elections Canada’s website: https://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx