OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit the Queen’s representative in Canada on Sunday morning to trigger the country’s second election in two years, seeking to capitalize on polls showing his Liberal Party with a large enough lead to retake a majority in parliament.
The prime minister is scheduled to meet Governor General Mary Simon at 10 a.m. in Ottawa, according to an itinerary released by his office. Election day is expected to be Sept. 20, several media outlets reported earlier this week.
Public opinion polls show the Liberals, in power since 2015, hovering in the mid-30% range of support, which is near the threshold needed to regain control of the House of Commons in Canada’s fragmented political system.
Trudeau’s party is likely to campaign on the message that a steady hand is needed to fight the pandemic and continue the economic recovery. The Liberals released a campaign-style advertisement on social media on Saturday with the slogan, “Forward. For Everyone.”
Half of Canadians believe Trudeau’s government has done a good job of managing the crisis, while 23% say he’s done poorly, according to a poll by Nanos Research Group for Bloomberg News. Another 26% are neutral.
The Nanos survey also found that almost three in four Canadians believe their personal finances are better or no worse than they were two years ago. That’s in line with other surveys showing rising confidence by consumers and businesses as vaccines become widely available.
Since losing his majority in the 2019 election, Trudeau has needed the help of other parties to pass legislation, giving the opposition leeway to set the policy agenda — though his pandemic fiscal packages have largely won cross-party support.
