Canada’s PM Carney triggers snap election, vote set for April 28

Montreal, Canada – Mark Carney, the country’s new prime minister, has announced a move to dissolve Parliament and aponize the election on April 28.

Less than two weeks after Carney assumed his position, succeeding Justin Trudeau, in a time of high political tensions, the widely anticipated decision on Sunday kicks off an election campaign.

After meeting with the governor general and requesting parliament’s dissolution, the Liberal Party leader in Ottawa stated to reporters that “we are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes” and that President Donald Trump’s “unjustified trade actions and threats to our sovereignty are at risk.

Because I believe we need significant change, both positive change and a strong, positive mandate to deal with President Trump and to create a new Canadian economy that benefits everyone.

Experts claim that Carney is hoping that his Liberal Party, which is gaining steam, will win the election because it had to be held by October 20.

Since Trudeau announced his resignation in January, as well as Trump’s repeated threats, the party, which has been in power since 2015, has risen in popularity.

Many Canadians have praised the Liberal government’s firm and cohesive response to Washington, and the US president’s tariffs and calls to annex Canada have fueled anger and uncertainty.

Recent polls have revealed that the Liberals and the opposition Conservatives are now locked in a neck-and-neck fight.

The Tories had a double-digit lead over their rivals as recently as January, and they were anticipating a win in the federal election.

According to Lisa Young, a professor of political science at the University of Calgary, “Carney] wants to call the election while he still has this kind of momentum as a new leader.”

The US president has stated on numerous occasions that he wants to “make Canada the “51st state,” which has sparked a rise in nationalism in Canada. Additionally, he has imposed high tariffs on imported Canadian goods, which economists fear could cause the nation to go into recession.

In light of this, several experts told Al Jazeera that the key question for the upcoming vote will be who will best manage Canada-US ties and how to respond to Trump.

And that ballot question would suit Mark Carney much better, Young said.

According to an Ipsos poll released on Thursday, Carney, an economist and former central banker, has the highest approval ratings of any federal party leader. Additionally, Canadians saw him as the leader who could handle Trump’s tariffs and their consequences.

Carney has pledged to carry out Trudeau’s strict response to the levies, including imposing reciprocal sanctions against the US, Canada’s top trading partner, globally.

The liberal leader also criticized Trump’s plan to annex Canada, calling it “crazy” and insisting that Canadian sovereignty must be respected before speaking with Washington.

Meanwhile, the opposition Conservatives are attempting to recapture some of the ground lost since the start of the year.

According to experts, Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservatives and known for his obscene attacks and attacks against Trudeau, has struggled to communicate effectively in the face of Trump.

In addition to being compared to the US president, Poilievre’s combative political stances have sparked questions about how he would handle Trump if the Conservatives win the election and he becomes prime minister.

However, Poilievre has criticized the Liberals’ performance in the last ten years of power and claimed Canadians can rely on him to defend the nation.

As a result of the president’s unacceptable threats against our nation, he said at a press conference to launch his campaign on Sunday morning, “I know a lot of people are worried, angry, and anxious — and with good reason.”

“I feel bad for our future and share your anger.” However, knowing that we can turn our anxiety and rage into good will also helps me, Poilievre said. “I will stand up for Canada and put our country first.”

The Liberals received 37.5 percent of the vote in the CBC News Poll Tracker, which aggregates polling data from all provinces. The Conservatives received 37.1 percent of the vote on Sunday.

Jagmeet Singh’s left-leaning New Democratic Party came in third place with 11.6 percent, followed by Yves-Francois Blanchet’s Bloc Quebecois, which came in at 6.4%.

The parties will compete for 343 seats in the House of Commons, the lower house of Canada’s Parliament.

Source: Aljazeera