Canadians from coast to coast will be going to the polls on September 20 to elect a new federal government. The announcement came on Sunday, August 15 after newly installed governor general Mary Simon approved a request by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to dissolve Parliament.
According to law the next election didn’t need to occur until October 2023, so this election is coming approximately two years early—though a snap election call has been expected for several weeks.
This will be Canada’s forty-forth federal election and will have a 36-day campaign, which is the shortest campaign allowed by law.
All the local candidates in the Provencher riding haven’t yet been established, but The Citizen will report on them in the coming days and weeks. The riding is currently represented by Ted Falk of the Conservatives.
Dates have already been set for a pair of televised debates between the national leaders. The French-language debate will come first, on September 8, followed by the English-language version the following evening from 8:00–10:00 p.m. local time.
According to national public polling, Trudeau’s Liberals currently sit in the lead with 35.6 percent of Canadian support at the start of the campaign. The Conservatives, led by Erin O’Toole, are at 28.8 percent, while the New Democrats under Jagmeet Singh sit in third spot with 19.3 percent support.
The Bloc Québécois enjoy just 6.6 percent support nationally, although that figure is much higher in Quebec, the only province where they run candidates. The Green trail in fifth place, with 4.8 percent support.
Polling isn’t available for the People’s Party of Canada, under controversial figure Maxime Bernier, who was arrested this past summer in Manitoba for failing to observe pandemic protocols by hosting rallies in Niverville and St. Pierre-Jolys.
