(Image source from: Aljazeera.com)
Canada will head to the polls on April 28 for what is shaping up to be a significant and closely contested election. Candidates will have 36 days for campaigning, which is the minimum period permissible by law. The election is being influenced heavily by the trade war threats from US President Donald Trump and issues surrounding Canadian sovereignty throughout the five-week campaign. This election marks the first time in ten years that former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not appear on the ballot. Currently, the major opposing parties—the Conservatives and the Liberals—are in an intense competition, making this an election to monitor closely.
In Canada, the voting process does not allow for direct selection of the prime minister. Instead, the leader of the party securing the most seats in Parliament is appointed as the head of the government. Mark Carney, the Liberal leader and Prime Minister, announced the snap election on Sunday, prompting Canadians to prepare to cast their votes in just a few weeks. The voting will take place on Monday, April 28, with polling stations open for a duration of 12 hours, although the hours will vary depending on the time zone.
Typically, preliminary election results in Canada are available on the night of the election. However, these results must be validated by voting officials, a process that usually takes two to three days after the election before the official results are released. Canada is divided into 343 federal electoral districts known as ridings or constituencies. Each riding corresponds to a seat in the House of Commons, which is contested during elections. Unlike members of the House of Commons, senators in the upper chamber of Parliament are appointed and do not participate in elections.
Eligible voters can choose their preferred candidate from the riding where they live. Similar to the United Kingdom, Canada employs a "first-past-the-post" electoral system, meaning the candidate receiving the most votes in each riding wins, regardless of whether they achieve a majority. Consequently, other parties in that area receive no representation. The leadership structure dictates that the party with the most elected Members of Parliament (MPs) establishes the government, while the second-largest party typically assumes the role of the official opposition. In scenarios where no party secures a majority in the House, a hung parliament or minority government situation arises, complicating legislative processes as the ruling party may need assistance from other parties to pass laws. Canadians do not directly elect a prime minister; rather, the party that gains the most seats in the House of Commons is conventionally invited to form the government. If it falls short of an outright majority, it may seek to form a coalition with another party.
The individual at the helm of the largest political party also holds the position of prime minister. Canada's political landscape is dominated by four prominent federal parties: The Liberals, The Conservative Party, The Bloc Quebecois, which fields candidates exclusively in Quebec, and the leftist New Democratic Party (NDP). The Liberal Party, which was formerly led by Justin Trudeau, has been in power since 2015. At the time of the Parliament's dissolution, they had 152 seats, and the new party leader Carney called for a snap election. Throughout the past ten years, the Conservative Party has been the official opposition in Canada, with 120 seats in the prior Parliament. The party is currently under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre, a member of Parliament from the Ottawa area, recognized for his populist approach.
The NDP, headed by Jagmeet Singh, possessed 24 seats in the last Parliament and was offering support to the minority Liberal government led by Trudeau until they pulled out of the agreement in September of the previous year. Yves-François Blanchet leads the Bloc Quebecois, which held 33 seats in the House of Commons. Besides these four main parties, the Green Party of Canada also exists, holding two seats in Parliament, but anticipated to not significantly advance in the forthcoming election.
Prominent Candidates in the Race:
Mark Carney: At the age of sixty, Carney, who currently serves as the prime minister of Canada, was elected to lead the Liberals last month with an impressive 85 percent approval. He takes over from Justin Trudeau. Carney is a well-known figure in Canada, having previously led both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, notably during the financial crisis of 2008 and the Brexit period. Although praised for his financial acumen, he is inexperienced in politics. Since assuming the role of Prime Minister, Carney has openly challenged U.S. President Trump, pledging to respond to his tariffs and asserting that Canada will not become the 51st state of the United States.
Pierre Poilievre: At forty-five, Poilievre entered the House of Commons when he was just 25 years old and has spent almost twenty years in the Canadian political arena. Throughout his career, he has championed low taxes and a reduced size of government in Canada. Poilievre is recognized for his combative political approach and has recently been vocal in criticizing the Liberals and Trudeau, claiming that their "disastrous" and "woke" policies have deteriorated living standards in Canada.
Yves-François Blanchet: While unlikely to ascend to the position of prime minister, as his party only fields candidates in French-speaking Quebec, Blanchet plays a significant role in Canadian electoral politics. The popularity of his party in Quebec could influence the prospects of other major parties aiming to form a government.
Jagmeet Singh: Singh, now forty-six years old, made history in 2017 as the first leader of a major Canadian political party from an ethnic minority and a practicing Sikh. After being elected as a Member of Parliament in 2019 within a British Columbia district, the former criminal defense lawyer has remained active in public office since.
Since 2021, Singh has played a crucial role in enabling the Trudeau Liberal government to maintain its position in power, offering essential Parliamentary votes in return for backing on legislation such as dental care for low-income families and a comprehensive national pharmacare program that includes coverage for birth control and insulin.
However, in late 2024, Singh annulled the "supply and confidence" agreement after Trudeau's cabinet instructed the industrial relations board to enforce binding arbitration in order to resolve a strike involving Canada's two largest rail companies.
As recently as January, many believed the Conservatives were poised for a strong chance to secure a parliamentary majority. Nevertheless, changes in the political landscape, including threats from US President Trump directed at Canada and significant shifts within the Liberal party's hierarchy, notably Trudeau's departure and Carney's emergence as a key figure, have altered the dynamics for the party. Current polling indicates that the Liberals are either leading over the Conservatives or are in a tight race with them. Recent findings from the CBC News Poll Tracker show the Liberals at 37.5 percent support, while the Conservatives stand at 37.1 percent. The NDP is positioned third with 11.6 percent, followed by the Bloc Quebecois at 6.4 percent, and the Greens at 3.8 percent.
