A Closer Look: Canada's Federal Election - What Happened and What's at stake

Trudeau

A Closer Look: Canada's Federal Election - What Happened and What's at stake

Canadians go to the polls on Monday in an election called by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau two years early, seeking to turn public approval of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic into a new four-year mandate.

Why now?

Since 2019, Trudeau has only led a minority in Parliament, which has left him dependent on other parties for power. Trudeau argues that the pandemic changed Canada just as much as World War II and Canadians must now choose who they want to make essential decisions for decades to come.

What happened?

Trudeau struggled to explain why snap elections during the worsening fourth wave of COVID-19 were a good idea. Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole has consistently accused the Liberal leader of putting Canadians in harm's way to realize their ambitions. It also seems that people are fed up with Trudeau, who has been carrying the burdens of governing for six years.

After Trudeau called the election, his big lead in the polls faded. Recent opinion polls point to a tight race in which he may retain power with another minority. Polls:

The Conservatives' steady gains were halted for the first three weeks when Trudeau attacked his opposition to vaccine mandates. 

Trudeau said Sunday that only liberals could end the COVID-19 pandemic and accused O'Toole of taking a wrong approach. Read more

What are the main issues?

To counter the pandemic, the Liberals have set a record national debt of C$1 trillion ($785.7 billion) and pushed the budget deficit to levels not seen since World War II. 

Analysts say financial markets do not appear to be overly concerned about the financial implications of either promise, even though bank and insurance stocks could take a hit after Trudeau promised a new tax on their profits.

Vaccine mandates

The Liberal government announced COVID-19 vaccine mandates.  Trudeau was mistreated and harassed by people opposing the move and said his conservative rival was taking his cues from the crowds. O'Toole opposes vaccine mandates, including for his candidates, and says he favors frequent testing. Read more

baby care

Women's employment has decreased thanks to COVID-19. Liberals promise to spend up to C$30 billion over five years to create a long-promised national childcare program. 

Affordability of housing

Home prices have risen about 70% since Trudeau took office. He promised to build, maintain, or repair 1.4 million homes over the next four years, among other actions. Conservatives will boost supply by building 1 million homes over three years and relaxing some mortgage requirements.

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