Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a federal election for Sept. 20, despite growing concerns over Canada’s fourth wave of COVID-19.
Trudeau, accompanied by his family, met with recently installed Governor General Mary Simon at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Sunday morning and asked her to dissolve parliament.
Simon said yes, and thus Canadians are heading to the polls.
“I’m asking you to vote for real progressive leadership, for strong healthcare, for affordable homes, for a clean and protected environment, make your voice heard, have your say, together let’s move forward for everyone,” said Prime Minister Trudeau.
Despite several questions from the media, Trudeau failed to clearly address whether a failure to establish a majority government would result in his resignation.
A minimum of 170 seats is required to secure a majority government.
Fourth Wave of COVID-19
The timing of an election has drawn criticism from opposition parties; however, Trudeau stated Canadians deserve the right to vote on Canada’s pandemic recovery.
“I think it’s right for Canadians to be able to pronounce themselves on where we’re going, how we get through this, and what the next steps are for fighting the pandemic as we face a fourth wave, but also for what the next steps are for rebuilding our community, our society, our country so that it is better and more resilient for years to come,” said Trudeau.
A fourth wave of COVID-19 – driven by the Delta variant – has recently emerged in Canada.
The country is recording an increase in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, said chief public health officer of Canada, Dr. Theresa Tam, on Thursday.
When asked about the safety of holding an election at this time, Tam’s key advice was to continue following public health guidelines.
“You do have to watch the local epidemiology and the local public health advice as well… so that could vary over time. Anyone who is campaigning must observe those best practices.”
“Different rules are being applied in different areas of the country,” Tam added.
What do the polls suggest?
In a recent survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute, the Liberals remain favoured by Canadians, garnering 36% of the votes. The Tories received 31% of the votes, good for second place, followed by the NDP with 19% and the Bloc Quebecois, who received 7%.
With files from Allan Dearing
