Canada’s PM is in a fight for his political life, after calling a snap election to take advantage of strong polling.
On September 20 Canadians will go to the polls, with Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party holding a wafer-thin lead over the opposition Conservatives.
Globe and Mail political reporter Marieke Walsh told Q+A with Jack Tame that Canada’s Covid strategy has been very different to New Zealand’s, with a more “scattershot” approach – but that’s not why the voters might be about to turf Trudeau out.
“He’s in tough right now for calling an election so early,” said Walsh.
Before the election, Trudeau was running a minority government, and it appears unlikely he will be able to improve on that, said Walsh.
“I think the cynical strategist in me would say that he called the election because the polls looked really good for him. In July he was almost ten points ahead of his closest competitor.
Walsh said this was partly from a “halo effect” of summer, and the vaccine rollout.
If the Conservatives win an upset victory, there could be an effect on Canada’s relationship with New Zealand.
Walsh said the party aims to bring about closer relations between "CANZUK" countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom.
Other parties expected to win double-digit numbers of seats include the left-wing New Democrat Party, and the regionalist Bloc Quebecois in French-majority province Quebec.
SHARE ME