Canada Election Shifts Gears After Trying Summer for Harper
- Incumbent Conservatives face weak economy and a refugee crisis
- NDP and Liberal challengers stake out ground on fiscal policy
Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his campaign trail. Photographer: Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images
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After a month of campaigning, the three-way race for Canada’s Oct. 19 election has narrowed as warning signs emerge for Prime Minister Stephen Harper in his bid for a fourth consecutive term.
The incumbent Conservative has endured an explosive court case, talk of a recession and a refugee crisis that have eroded his traditional core platform planks: accountability and economic stewardship. Tom Mulcair of the leftist New Democratic Party and Justin Trudeau of the centrist Liberals, meanwhile, are each working to position themselves as the best alternative to Harper.