Canadians To Choose Their Next PM Today

Ottawa:

Canadian Election 2025: Canadians are scheduled to elect a new government on Monday as the Liberal Party, led by Mark Carney, is trying to expand Pierre Poillivre’s power over conservatives. The candidate voted final Sunday, but the final time of the campaign rattles off by a deadly carlamming attack in Vancouver. The fatal attacks have temporarily shifted the country’s focus. President Donald Trump said that Canada’s annexation war and threats have infuriated Canadians.

Prime Minister Carney gave the country a pause on his campaign schedule for his last day after drivers plowed into the crowd and killed 11 people at the Philippine street festival. The 30-year-old man, who police say has a history of mental health issues and has had previous interactions with law enforcement, was in custody following an attack that injured dozens of people.

Kearney, a 60-year-old father of four, expressed support for those affected, saying, “Last night, the family lost a sister, sibling, mother, father, son or daughter… Those families live the nightmare of every family.”

Poilliebre, who appeared with his wife at a church in the Mississauga campaign city in western Toronto, condemned the attack as “a nonsense act of violence.”

“Our heart is with you today. All Canadians are united in solidarity with the Filipino community,” Polyebre said.

What kind of polls do you say?

Opinion polls show Canadians believe Carney is the two-time central banker and former college hockey goalkeeper who took over this year after Justin Trudeau resigned, the strongest candidate ahead of Monday’s election. Meanwhile, 45-year-old Poilierbre, who has been in Congress for 20 years, has worked to focus on the rising cost of living in Trudeau’s power.

But pollers say that after Trump slapped tariffs in Canada and repeatedly referred to his once-closed allies as the 51st state, Carney’s Liberal Party has maintained a narrow lead in general support ahead of the final vote. The US president’s comments infuriated Canadians and overturned a roughly 20-point lead for Poilierbre, whom liberals compared to Trump.

British Columbia’s 43 constituencies are one of the most closely contested battlefields in the country. The gap between the two front-running parties was about 4 percent points, slightly wider than Saturday, according to a Nanos poll. The poll provided national liberal support, with 43% compared to 38.9% of conservatives.

When will the results occur?

Pre-voting in Canada took place from April 18th to April 21st, allowing voters to vote before General Election Day. Approximately 2 million Canadians voted on the first day of advance voting, recording new daily turnout. On the last election day on Monday, the polling station will be open from 9am to 9pm local time, allowing eligible voters to vote.

Given Canada’s six time zones, the results start to drip right after the polls in the Atlantic are approaching. The final results are reported as polling stations close to the Pacific time zone.

Approximately 28 million Canadians are registered to vote in 343 riding, up from 338 in the 2021 election.

As a result, a referendum could lead to a liberal victory. This is because polls show that party support is more concentrated than urban Conservatives, where there is a wealth of districts or seats. It is unclear whether the Liberal Party will win a majority seat to govern without the help of a small party.

As votes close on Monday, conservatives will closely monitor the performance of smaller parties, such as the Left New Democrats (NDP) and separatist bloc quebekoa.

Past Canadian elections have seen strong NDP performances in Ontario and British Columbia, as well as good shows by the Quebec bloc, curtailed liberal seating tallies, but polls suggest that both small parties could face a setback.

(Input from AFP and Reuters)