Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament and mark the formal start of an election on Aug. 15. Canadians will head to the polls on Sept. 20.
The election call comes after almost two years of a minority government in the House of Commons, meaning Trudeau has needed the support of at least one other party to survive confidence votes and pass legislation. During this period, the Liberals have partnered with the NDP or the Bloc Quebecois to advance its legislative goals.
In a speech announcing the election, Trudeau said Canadians need to decide how to finish the fight against COVID-19 and what direction they’d like the country to go in after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
“The decisions your government makes right now will define the future your kids and grandkids grow up in,” Trudeau said. “In this pivotal moment, who wouldn’t want their chance to decide where our country goes from here?”
The election will last 36 days, which is the minimum length allowed for a federal election period.
Data suggests many Canadians are opposed to an election overall. A recent poll, commissioned by Torstar and conducted by Mainstreet Research, found just under 65 per cent of Canadians feel that now is the wrong time to call an election.
This will be the first federal election amid the COVID-19 pandemic with the highly contagious Delta variant leading to increasing case counts across the country, especially among unvaccinated adults.
In a poll published on Friday, Nanos Research found the Liberals have 33.4 per cent ballot support. The Conservatives trail with 28.4 per cent ballot support, followed by the NDP with 20.7 per cent ballot support, the Greens with 7.9 per cent ballot support, the Bloc Quebecois with 6.3 per cent ballot support and the People’s Party with 1.9 per cent ballot support.
Among young Canadian voters, pre-election polling has found strong support for the Liberals and the NDP. An Abacus Data poll from Aug. 5 found 36 per cent of voters aged 18 to 29 would vote for a Liberal candidate. Thirty-two per cent of respondents said they would vote for an NDP candidate.
Historically, young voters turn out less than other age groups for federal elections. In 2015, Elections Canada found 57.1 per cent of voters between 18 and 24 years old participated in the federal election. In 2019, young voter turnout fell to 53.9 per cent. In both years, young voters participated less than all other age groups.
The Charlatan will continue to provide updates as the story develops.
Featured image from file.
