Explainer
A Guide to Canada’s Election, Starring Donald Trump
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A few months ago, Canada’s Pierre Poilievre seemed to be cruising toward victory in the next election. His Conservative Party was polling around 20 percentage points ahead of Justin Trudeau’s Liberals because of growing voter frustration around political scandals and rising housing costs.
But things changed after Trudeau announced his resignation in January and US President Donald Trump threatened to make Canada the 51st state. Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney won a battle to lead the Liberal Party and succeeded Trudeau as prime minister in March. The US launched a trade war against Canada, and Canadians fought back with their wallets. Seeking a mandate of his own from voters, Carney scheduled an election for April 28.