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THE TWO MAIN candidates vying to lead Canada as prime minister for the next four years go head-to-head in a TV debate tonight as part of a campaign that has been upended by the influence of the Trump presidency in the US.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre looked set to lead his party back to power after a decade of Liberal rule under Justin Trudeau, but the election of Donald Trump and the decision by Trudeau to step down as prime minister has turned the race on its head.
At the start of this year, polls indicated Poilievre’s Tory party was set for a majority in the Ottawa’s House of Commons but instead his party now trails a resurgent Liberal Party under the leadership of Mark Carney.
Carney was sworn in as Prime Minister last month after winning a leadership contest for his Liberal party and is now looking for his own mandate in the 28 April election he called last month.
In the latest polls, CBC data put the Liberals at 43.6% support, with the Tories at 37.8%.
Unlike Poilievre who has been an MP for over 20 years, Carney has never been elected to office anywhere, instead building his profile as the head of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 financial crisis and in the Bank of England throughout the post-Brexit tumult.
By coincidence, Poilievre and Carney are running for parliament in neighboring electoral districts — Carleton and Nepean — outside of Ottawa.
Carney, a first-timer, was born in Fort Smith, about 4,500 kilometers from Nepean and was raised in the western city of Edmonton.
Poilievre is also a blow-in having been raised in the western province of Alberta but he has has represented Carleton in parliament since 2004.
Despite their contrasting political experiences, Carney has led a Liberal comeback since he was elected as Trudeau’s replacement just over a month ago, with Canadians drawn to his economic experience in the face of Trump’s trade war and annexation threat.
“I think that Carney, being an economist, is better suited to deal with Trump,” said William Dubroy, 75, shopping at a Nepean bulk store.
Fellow shopper Andrea Doyle said she’s “excited for him to become the next prime minister.”
Populism
By contrast, Poilievre has been placed on the back foot as the support he built on the back of Trudeau’s unpopularity has faded into the distance.
Indeed, the 45-year-old career politician has sought to dispel comparisons with Trump given that they share a similar brand of right-wing populism.
Since coming to office in January, Trump has threatened the Canadian economy with high tariffs and repeatedly called for the country to surrender its sovereignty and become a part of the United States.
Experts agree that the main question facing Canadians when they cast their ballot on April 28 will be who — Carney or Poilievre — can push back against Trump.
“The economy is the biggest issue for me in this election, including the whole free trade thing with the United States,” Ottawa voter Carol Salemi told AFP.
We need some sort of negotiation (with the US) and we need a strong leader to do that.
Danielle Varga, 22, echoed that viewpoint, saying Canada needs “someone that’s strong against America. It feels like everyone’s on that same page, which is good.”
At the moment, Carney appears to fit the bill.
“This is the most important election of our lifetime,” Carney recently told campaign volunteers in Ottawa
“It’s critical in redefining our relationship with the United States (and) redefining our economy on our own terms.”
Last month, Trump said he had an “extremely productive” first call with Carney, adding that the two leaders “agree on many things.”
That was a stark change in tone from a US president whose dealings with Trudeau had been frosty, and it was immediately picked up on north of the border.
For his part, Poilievre has sought to argue that a vote to return the Liberals to government was playing into Trump’s hands.
“President Trump has said he wants the Liberals back in power. We know why, because they will keep Canada weak and keep our investment flowing out of this country, to the US,” he said at a campaign stop in Toronto.
Debate
Last night, Carney and Poilievre shared a debate stage in Quebec that was completely in French, ahead of tonight’s debate in English.
Carney avoided major errors that tested his occasionally shaky language skills, having at times struggled to articulate his positions in French while campaigning ahead of the 28 April vote.
Poilievre argued that a decade of weak economic performance under the Trudeau-led Liberals left Canada vulnerable to hostile US trade policies.
While conceding that “no one can control Donald Trump’s decision,” the Tory leader pledged to “put Canada first.”
Poilievre continued his effort of trying to tie Carney to Trudeau — who became deeply unpopular toward the end of his decade in power.
He suggested Carney should be “embarrassed to ask Canadians for a fourth mandate despite a terrible Liberal record.”
“I’m not Justin Trudeau,” Carney replied. “I just got here.”
Magic numbers
In a country of 41 million people, 343 seats are at stake.
The party that wins a majority will form the next government, and its leader will become prime minister.
If no party gains a clear majority, the party with the most seats will be invited to attempt to form a coalition government with the help of smaller parties.
With reporting © – AFP 2025
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Sure gsoc find the gards guilty until inncoent. They dont trust them anyway
@O Hiongardail Collie: Garda don’t seem to trust Garda. Hense the growing number of whistle blowers.
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: so many of them know of the criminals within but
say what you want about the guards, but of all the main stories of a member being prosecuted, the majority have been prosecuted by a fellow Garda and not GSOC. The DPP also have to make a decision. so it’s difficult to hide. GSOC seem to constantly be complaining. They should look at their own behaviour. What about the poor sergeant in Donegal who committed suicide after they failed to tell him he was clear of his complaint!
No change in the GDA force, still the same corrupt,deceitful, culture going on.
@@mdmak33: all of them?
@Patrick James Walsh: typically from Irish politicians, they set up a garda ombudman purely for show, but gave no real powers to the office. It’s all for show to make it look as if we are doing something about police curruption
If there are criminal investigations then a file is submitted to the DPP’s office for recommendations,so how is there any room for interference, usually the DPP’s office recommend prosecution and allow the courts to adjudicate when a member of the gardai is involved.
This is a cryptic message from GSOC to the public about an Garda Corruptchána. Thank you for putting us on alert, although I suspect many will not be surprised. It seems that our national police force needs to be dredged to remove the filth that has been festering all these years. Has anyone an update on the missing phones from the Maurice McCabe case?
Guards covering up for their own surely this has never & will never happen in cronyism ireland
I currently have a complaint lodged against the Garda with gsoc the investigating superintendent has so far not investigated nothing only believing the Garda with whom the complaint is lodged just because he a superintendent doesn’t mean he not corrupt
@James Wallace: GSOC have more statutory powers than Gardai actually.
@Jumanji: but yet the Gardai can and do refuse to cooperate with them?
@James Wallace: because GSOC was never intended to have any teeth, it was always supposed to be window dressing. It was introduced by Michael McDowell in 2004 as Justice minister in the teeth of opposition from Garda management and the representative bodies, and now we know why. Every Police force in the world except those in `Police states`, have some form of complaints/ombudsman procedure.
But An Garda Siochana do not see themselves as being accountable to anyone. Bizarrely the legislation allows GSOC to hand the complaints made against members back to the force to investigate themselves! it could only happen in Ireland.
Do these people not know of the maxim thou shall not be a judge of self thus they are breaking Common law
What’s new with the gardai the constitution is also a joke with them
Well in fairness, of course they can be accused of a cover up. If you want it reported to the ombudsman, then make it more than a recommendation.
That ending to Line of Duty was rubbish, so disappointing
@Patrick James Walsh: they hand it back when they deem it appropriate to be handled internally. A minor infraction not involving the public. GSOC have plenty of teeth more invasive than Garda powers. The problem is that you just expected more corruption than there is, so you lash out and call GSOC corrupt or toothless
have your say