PRIME MINISTER Trudeau warms them up before a federal election on September 20.
NEW DEMOCRAT Jagmeet Singh thinks he may have votes to sway the election.
PC leader Erin O’Toole has to deliver votes and has a chance of winning next month’s election.
It is official. There is a Canadian federal election in 36 days from now.
As expected, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon has approved a request by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to dissolve Parliament, which triggers the issuing of election writs and signalling a federal election.
The date has been set for September 20, following a campaign that will last 36 days, the minimum permitted by law.
Many people did not want an election called at this time, just as the situation with COVID-19 improves and people return to their jobs or seek other work. Many people did not want to deal with another layer of stress that a federal election can bring.
Trudeau is betting that high vaccination rates against the virus and a post-pandemic economic rebound will help him prolong and strengthen his grip on power. New information shows 71% of the country’s eligible population is fully vaccinated.
“We will be taking decisions that will last not just for the coming months but for the coming decades. Canadians deserve their say,” he said in Ottawa on August 15.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is against the September 20 vote and so is Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, who is concerned about holding a campaign during a fourth wave of the pandemic.
Local MPs and candidates knew the election was being called and have been working overtime recruiting staff, booking advertising and getting ready for 36 days of door-knocking and sign-planting.
The candidates for Etobicoke Lakeshore includes six-year MP Liberal incumbent James Maloney, federal Conservative Party’s Indira Bains, a party worker, and New Democrat’s Sasha Kane.
The declared candidates for the federal Etobicoke Centre as listed on its website are incumbent Yvan Baker and PC Maurice Comier.
With Elections Canada embarking on a series of new public health measures to ensure that the vote is conducted safely amid a forth wave, the price tag for the election is estimated to be $610 million.
A network of Elections Canada volunteers have to be recruited to work as well has offices booked across the country for the voting to take place.