New Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney on Sunday announced a snap election for April 28, saying he needed a strong mandate to address the economic threat posed by US President, Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The election had been scheduled for October 20, but Carney is looking to capitalise on his Liberal party’s surge in the polls since January, when Trump’s threats against Canada intensified and former Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau announced his resignation.
Carney, a former central banker who has never run a political campaign, secured the Liberal leadership two weeks ago by convincing party members that he was best suited to handle Trump’s policies.
Now, with just five weeks before the election, he must persuade voters across Canada.
Although the Liberals, in power since 2015, were trailing the opposition Conservatives earlier in the year, recent polls suggest they have now taken a slight lead.
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Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, described the shift in voter sentiment, stating, “We moved from an election where people wanted change to an election that’s really much more about leadership.”
He added, “The ability of the Conservatives to attack the Liberals has been greatly diminished, because people are focused on the here and now and the near-term future, not on what happened over the last 10 years.”
The Conservatives have sought to paint Carney as an elitist committed to Trudeau-era high government spending. They have also questioned his handling of his personal financial assets, alleging a lack of transparency in how he placed them into a blind trust.
When asked about the issue last week, Carney reacted sharply, accusing the reporter of engaging in “conflict and ill will.” His response has raised hopes among Conservatives that he may struggle under pressure during his first election campaign.
A key battleground will be Quebec, where French-speaking voters could play a decisive role. Carney faced difficulty during a press conference when responding to a question in French, initially misunderstanding it before answering in English.
Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, in contrast, is a seasoned politician with experience in seven elections and is fluent in French.
Laura Stephenson, a politics professor at Western University, suggested that Carney’s inexperience might not be a major disadvantage, given the election’s unique dynamics.
“There’s a different kind of comparison that’s being made right between the leaders and what are they going to be able to do,” she said. “I have a feeling we’re going to see a little more grace extended than is usually given to politicians during this campaign.”
Recent polling data reflects a competitive race.
An online Angus Reid survey of 4,009 people released on Monday showed the Liberals with 42% public support compared to the Conservatives at 37%, with a margin of error of around 1.5%, 19 times out of 20.
Another online poll by Leger, conducted for the National Post among 1,568 respondents, found the Liberals at 42% and the Conservatives at 39%, with a margin of error of around 2.5%, 19 times out of 20.
(Reuters)
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