The campaign for Canada’s snap election has officially begun!

In a daring and highly consequential decision, new Prime Minister Mark Carney has moved to dissolve Parliament, calling for Canada’s snap election on April 28. Carney has requested Governor General to dissolve parliament and call an election for April 28. Prime Minister Carney was referring to King Charles III’s representative in Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.

The Trump Factor 

 Carney, who recently assumed office, maintains that the Trump administration’s growing political and economic threats are the reason Canada is facing an existential crisis.  He contends that in order to resist American aggression and protect national sovereignty, his administration requires a clear political mandate. Trump has repeatedly dismissed Canada’s sovereignty and borders as “artificial”, and urged it to join the United States as the 51st state.

On March 2, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian imports, which he then partially halted for a month.  Canadian importers were impacted when a 25% general tariff on all steel and aluminium imports took effect on March 12.  In the second week of the campaign, on April 2, the Trump administration intends to impose further international tariffs.  To date, Canada has responded by imposing tariffs on approximately C$60 billion ($42 billion; £32 billion) worth of US goods.

Who are the contenders?

The Liberals, previously led by Justin Trudeau, with its new leader Carney called Canada’s snap election. The Conservative Par party is led by Pierre Poilievre, an Ottawa-area legislator known for his populist rhetoric. The Bloc Quebecois with Blanchet is  a key player in Canadian elections as  party’s popularity in Quebec could determine the fate of the other major parties looking to form the government.

 The Jagmeet Singh-led NDP had 24 parliamentary seats in the previous parliament and was supporting the Trudeau-led Liberal minority government, before withdrawing from that deal in September of last year.

How do the elections work?

The country has a first-past-the-post election system, which means that the candidate who secures the most votes in the riding wins – even if they don’t win a majority of the votes.

The leader of the party with the greatest number of elected MPs forms the government, while the second largest party traditionally forms the official opposition. If a party wins 172 seats, they secure a majority government. If no individual party wins a majority, the party with the most seats is typically given the chance to form a government, which requires having “the confidence of the house.”

Issues affecting the polls

All of a sudden, the main topics of discussion are Trump, tariffs, and saving the country rather than topics like inflation, immigration, and the cost of living.  According to the most current polls, the Liberals are either ahead of the Conservatives or in a close battle with their opponents. “The Liberals and Conservatives are effectively tied in national polls with the New Democrats trailing in a distant third place,” according to CBS News Poll Tracker, which compiles national polling data.

Which countries can interfere?

Canada’s spy agency claimed that India and China are likely to attempt interference in the upcoming Canadian general election on April 28, while Russia and Pakistan also have the potential to do so, according to news agency Reuters 

India has earlier rejected all such allegations saying that New Delhi has no role in Canada’s internal affairs.

Carney Vs Opposition

Poilievre, a major candidate, known for his confrontational style of politics and in recent years, has tirelessly attacked the Liberals and Trudeau, saying that their “disastrous” and “woke” policies have worsened the quality of life in Canada. According to a Reuters report, the Conservatives are seeking to portray the new premier as an “elitist” who plans to continue the Trudeau-era policy of high government spending. They also accuse him of being less than clear about how he transferred his personal financial assets into a blind trust.

Carney bristled last week when asked about the trust, and accused the reporter asking of engaging in “conflict and ill will”. The prickly reaction could give hope to the Conservatives that Carney might stumble during what will be his first campaign.