Election day will be September 20 as Canadians head to the polls in the midst of a pandemic.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Governor General Mary Simon and requested that she dissolve parliament, kickstarting the election campaign.
During his initial remarks, Trudeau focused on the challenges of the last few years and the progress he says they have made on issues like the pandemic and climate change.
Trudeau says the federal election is an important moment for the country, perhaps the most important since 1945.
He says our future and our planet are at stake.
Conservative party leader Erin O’Toole questioned Trudeau’s decision to call an election during the pandemic, and put an emphasis on topics such as the country’s debt and the increased cost of living. He says the Liberals have been doing “the bare minimum.” He says Trudeau has let Canadians down.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh cited climate change, what he calls the housing crisis, and issues facing indigenous communities as things that have “gotten worse over the past six years.” Like O’Toole, Singh called into question the decision to hold an election now.
He says instead of being focused on an election, Trudeau should be focused on getting people the help they need and not “walking away” from his commitments.
(Photo via CPAC.)
Trudeau’s Writ Drop Under Fire from Bloc, Green Party
Meanwhile, Trudeau’s decision to call an election now also came under fire from the Bloc Quebecois and the Green Party.
Bloc leader Yves Francois Blanchet disputed Trudeau’s reasoning for the call while speaking to media yesterday.
When asked about Trudeau saying it’s important that Canadians get the chance to choose who leads them through the many issues being faced, Blanchet says using that logic, there would be an election every week. Further, he doesn’t believe Trudeau will get a majority.
Green Party leader Annamie Paul points to the wildfires in BC, extreme heat conditions, the fourth wave of the pandemic, and the cost of the election as reasons why the writ shouldn’t have been dropped.
She says the only reason an election has been called is because Trudeau wants more power.
