Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched an election on Sunday as he seeks to take advantage of Canada being one of the most fully immunized countries in the world.
Trudeau announced that the election would take place on 20 September after meeting with the governor general, who holds a mostly ceremonial position representing Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.
Trudeau said, “We’ve got your back, and it’s time to hear your voice.” “The Canadian people need to choose how we end the fight against them” COVID-19“
Trudeau is trying to win as many seats in parliament as possible. His Liberal Party fell short of him just two years ago and must rely on the opposition to pass legislation.
The election comes as Canada experiences a new wave of COVID-19 cases, driven by delta version Of coronavirus. Trudeau called it “the fourth wave among unvaccinated people.”
Trudeau isn’t as popular as he once was, but his government’s handling of pandemic pandemic widely seen as a success. After a slow start, Canada now has enough vaccines for every citizen. More than 71% of eligible Canadians have been fully vaccinated and more than 82% have received at least one dose. The government has spent billions to run the economy amid the lockdown lifted so far.
But if the result is another minority government, “the knife will start to run out,” said Robert Bothwell, a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto.
“Trudeau is not widely liked. He is what the Liberals have so they will fall behind him, but if he loses he is toast,” Bothwell said.
“It’s not that he’s unpopular but there’s no affection. Liberals behave as if he’s this darling but he’s not. The novelty is gone. But there’s still plenty there and the performance on COVID is pretty solid.” That’s why I think people will balance these things in the election and vote for Trudeau.”
Trudeau, the son of the late Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, became the second youngest prime minister in Canadian history when he was first elected in 2015 with a majority in parliament. The Liberal victory ended nearly 10 years of Conservative Party government in Canada. But scandals with high expectations have damaged Trudeau’s position.
His father served as Prime Minister from 1968 to 1984 with a short interruption.
Jagmeet Singh, leader of the opposition leftist New Democratic Party, said it is “selfish” for Trudeau to call the election in a pandemic. Canada’s largest province, Ontario, reported more than 500 cases for the fourth day in a row.
Opposition Conservative leader Erin O’Toole did not answer whether her candidates should be vaccinated. He said he was disappointed that Trudeau was trying to confuse people about his health.
Nelson Wiseman, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, said many Canadians would be outraged by an election they consider unnecessary, but added that liberals would win the most seats.
“Trudeau is seen as the delivery of vaccines and the government’s income- and job-support programs to combat the economic fallout of COVID has received widespread support,” Wiseman said.
“Canadians compare their situation to the US. The current spike in the US contributes to complacency among Canadians. Liberals currently benefit from this sentiment.”
Trudeau began his news conference on Saturday by talking about the Taliban’s occupation of Afghanistan. Canada has closed its embassy in Kabul and employees have fled the country. “The current situation poses serious challenges to our ability to ensure the safety and security of our mission,” Trudeau said.
Canada has committed to taking in 20,000 refugees from the country and Afghans who have assisted Canada over the years.
.