Canada’s first election calls come against Trudeau, who is now at the polls

MONTREAL, Sept. 3 (Reuters) – Liberal Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is back in the polls ahead of a quick election he called hoping his COVID-19 crisis management would propel him to victory .

Trudeau called the September 20 election last month, two years ahead of schedule. At the time, his Liberals were well ahead and seemed to regain the majority in parliament they lost in 2019. His main rival, Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, has repeatedly attacked him for calling a vote during the pandemic. .

Recent polls by Nanos, Ekos and others show that liberal fortunes have faded as voters have grown tired of 49-year-old Trudeau, who has ruled since 2015. A Liberal strategist said Friday that the call for Early voting had fallen behind as it was seen as “wrong” and “greedy” by voters.

Also Friday, Canadian health officials released models showing new cases of COVID-19 that could peak the third wave during the month and warned that if vaccinations among young adults do not increase, the country’s hospital capacity could be exceeded. . Read more

The Nanos Research poll for CTV gave the Conservatives 35.7% public support, with the Liberals at 30.7% and the new Democrats from the smaller left at 18.3%. An Ekos poll released Thursday afternoon puts the Conservatives at 35.5% versus 30.7% for the Liberals (see more polls 🙂

If those numbers hold up on election day, O’Toole is likely to win a minority administration. (See profiles of party leaders: read more) On Thursday, the Conservative leader stepped out of the French-speaking leaders’ debate without suffering too much damage.

During the exchanges, Trudeau said that if there was another minority government, there is likely to be another election within 18 months. Read more

“We shouldn’t be in a campaign. Only Mr. Trudeau wanted this campaign for his own personal interests,” O’Toole told reporters Friday.

“And last night he threatened another election if he doesn’t get along with it. Canadians deserve better than that,” he said after a campaign announcement in Montreal.

On Friday, Trudeau said his comments on the debate referred to the average duration of minority governments. He then attacked O’Toole’s opposition to vaccine mandates for domestic travel, saying conservative politics would endanger people.

“Without strong leadership in vaccines, our children will not be safe in the classroom, our business will not grow and prosper and all Canadians will be at risk,” Trudeau said.

On Friday, Canadian health officials said there was an “urgent need” to increase vaccinations for 18- to 39-year-olds, who lag behind the rest of the population. They also said that masking and social distancing should continue during the winter to prevent further spread.

About 77% of eligible Canadians are fully vaccinated.

Liberal strategists expressed hope that their fortunes will improve if Canadians start paying more attention next week after Labor Monday holidays and two more debates.

During the last two election campaigns, Trudeau gained crucial late support by telling Canadians to vote for the New Democrats (who compete for the same left-leaning segment of the electorate), which would divide progressives and lead to a conservative government. .

Reports by David Ljunggren in Montreal, additional reports by Julie Gordon in Ottawa, edited by Steve Scherer and David Gregorio

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