How Conservatives Are Quietly Flipping the GTA — But PPC Drama Keeps Brampton Red

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Hello, CanAmNews fans! Brick Mercer here — your no-nonsense, slightly sarcastic political guide to the chaos unfolding in Canada’s elections. Let’s talk about the 2025 federal election and how the Conservatives snagged some sweet wins in the Greater Toronto Area — but then utterly flopped in Brampton. And why? Because sometimes your own drama messes up your game. But first let’s talk about our sponsor:

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Let’s start with the good news for the Conservatives. Michael Ma flipped Markham–Unionville, snatching it from the Liberals after the incumbent ghosted the race. Now, Markham–Unionville isn’t some safe Liberal castle—it’s been a bona fide battleground for years. With shifting boundaries and demographics, this riding has swung back and forth between Liberals and Conservatives, so flipping it is a solid win, not a fluke.

Across Ontario, Conservatives boosted their vote share by almost 9 points and grabbed 52 seats out of 122, mostly picking off suburban and exurban spots rather than downtown Toronto or Ottawa, which stubbornly stay red. This shows the magic is happening in the ‘burbs, where the Conservative message is finally gaining traction.

But then comes Brampton, the party pooper. While some Conservative candidates like Amarjeet Gill did win in Brampton West, most of Brampton stayed loyal to the Liberals. Why? Enter the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), the spoiler in this suburban drama. Some PPC candidates — apparently bitter ex-Conservative hopefuls who got dumped during nomination wars — ran as rebels and split the conservative vote.

Imagine throwing a heated family reunion where half the cousins refuse to talk but still want to sit at the head of the table. That’s exactly what happened in Brampton. Instead of a united Conservative front, voters got confused and divided. Meanwhile, the Liberals sipped their double-doubles and kept their seats warm.

So what’s the lesson here? If Conservatives want to win big in Ontario — and Canada — they must keep their house in order. Winning more GTA ‘burbs like Markham–Unionville is a great start, but causing PPC rifts in places like Brampton only hands victories to the Liberals on a silver platter.

And remember, unless you’re into chasing unicorns in Montreal, focusing on Ontario and BC with a united conservative vote is the way to go. Quebec’s environmental politics clash too much with Conservative pipeline dreams — no point in banging your head against that maple-covered wall.

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Michael Ma flips Markham–Unionville Conservative in 2025 federal election.
Markham–Unionville riding’s battleground history explained.
Conservatives boost Ontario vote share by nearly 9 points in 2025.
PPC candidates split conservative vote in Brampton, hurting Tory chances.
Internal Conservative drama fuels PPC rebellion in GTA.

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