Election Looms as Canadian PM Mark Carney Moves to Dissolve Parliament

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney will ask Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election this Sunday. 

The move will trigger a national campaign just days after Carney was sworn in as prime minister and appointed his cabinet. With Parliament originally scheduled to reconvene on Monday after being prorogued on January 6, the election call will shift the country’s political focus to the upcoming vote.

Election day likely on April 28 or May 5

Canadian Federal election campaigns typically last between 36 and 50 days, meaning Canadians are expected to head to the polls on either April 28 or May 5. The official election date has yet to be confirmed.

Carney’s decision comes at a time when opinion polls show the Liberals holding a slight lead over the Conservatives. According to CBC’s Poll Tracker, Carney’s Liberals currently stand at 37.7% support, just ahead of Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives at 37.4%.

Few weeks ago, Conservatives were leading in the opinion polls. US President Donald Trump's pejorative comments on Canada, and the incumbent Liberal government, it appears has boosted their support. In other words, Trump has, unintentionally, improved the Liberal party's fortune. 

Here is what else you need to know

Although the race appears tight in terms of popular support, the distribution of votes across the country gives the Liberals an electoral advantage. The party’s support is more evenly spread across multiple regions, while the Conservatives have concentrated backing in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Projections suggest that if the election were held today, the Liberals could win 176 seats, securing a majority, while the Conservatives would likely take 133 seats.

With the official campaign about to begin, both parties will now work to solidify their support and sway undecided voters in what is expected to be a closely contested election.

Shortly after being sworn in, Carney said that “Canada's new government is changing how we work so we can deliver better results faster to all Canadians. We have new ministers with new ideas ready to respond to new threats and to seize new opportunities”. 

The Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre responded by saying "It's the same Liberal gang with the same Liberal agenda, the same Liberal results and the same Liberal promise of the last 10 years."