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Canadian PM Carney to call snap elections, reports say
The Federal election is scheduled for October this year, but Carney will seek snap polls to take advantage of the momentum that the ruling Liberal Party has benefited from since he was selected as its leader on March 9
Toronto: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to announce snap Federal elections on Sunday, according to multiple media reports.
The Federal election is scheduled for October this year, but Carney will seek snap polls to take advantage of the momentum that the ruling Liberal Party has benefited from since he was selected as its leader on March 9. He was sworn in as Canada’s 24th Prime Minister replacing Justin Trudeau.
The Federal election is expected to be scheduled for either the end of April or the first week of May.
Appearing at an event in Edmonton, capital of the province of Alberta, on Thursday, Carney said convention dictated the first person to be informed of the decision is Governor General Mary Simon. But, he said, “What is clear is in this time of crisis, the government needs a strong and clear mandate.”
He was joined at the event with Edmonton’s Indo-Canadian Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. Sohi, who was a Federal Minister from 2015 to 2019, is believed to be among those Carney will recruit to contest in the next Federal election.
“We’re offering a positive change for the country,” Carney said.
He was asked about US President Donald Trump’s statement he would rather work with the Liberals than Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre. To that, the PM responded, “The President wanted to have negotiations with a serious person.”
The announcement will come a day prior to the scheduled date for Parliament to resume sitting. The House of Commons was prorogued on January 6 as Trudeau announced his intent to resign once his successor was selected. That process was completed on March 9, with Carney easily winning the leadership race with nearly 86 per cent of ballots cast by registered Liberal Party members.
Since then the ruling party, which had been trailing by opposition Conservatives by 20 points, has not just caught up with its principal rival, but recent surveys have shown that it now has a lead. Carney will be hoping to leverage that turnaround that is partly due to the threats from Trump, including that of annexing Canada.
According to a survey released on Monday by the non-profit, non-partisan Angus Reid Institute or ARI, the Liberals are “surging to a five-point vote intention advantage nationally after trailing by 29 points in late December.”
“Were these numbers to hold, with the Liberals at 42 per cent in vote intention, what was a tired, discardable brand just three months ago would be on its way to a fourth term, this time with a majority,” it added.
In December, as an internal revolt grew within the party over Trudeau’s leadership, the opposition Conservative Party had 45 per cent support as against 16 per cent for the Liberals. At present, the Conservatives have dropped to 37 per cent backing.
The Liberals have not been in majority territory since 2016, as per ARI data. That was just after Trudeau led the party to a majority in 2015 and formed the Government for the first time. However, in the two succeeding elections, in 2019 and 2021, he was unable to repeat that feat and headed minority governments.
MPs have told the Hindustan Times they are already preparing the groundwork for what will be an abbreviated campaign.
