Canadians have voted in a General Election to decide who will run the country for the next four years.
Justin Trudeau, the leader of the Liberal Party and current prime minister, narrowly won the vote but is projected to fall short of winning an outright majority.
It means he could run a minority government or team up with some smaller parties in a power-sharing deal.
The General Election marks Trudeau’s third triumph after he called the snap poll during the coronavirus pandemic.
Who is Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau?
Justin Trudeau is 49 years old and is Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister.
He studied literature at McGill University, graduating with honours in 1994. Following this, he went on to teach maths, French and other subjects in Vancouver as part of the University of British Columbia’s education program.
Some years later, Trudeau decided to get involved with politics, and began as an advocate for the environment and young people.
He served as the chair of Katimavik and was on the board of the Canadian Avalanche Foundation before being elected to the Canadian Parliament in 2008.
Two years after his re-election in 2011, he was elected leader of the Liberals, leading the party to victory in 2015 and 2019.
Since triumphing in the elections, Justin Trudeau has implemented policies to tackle climate change, make daily living more affordable and much more.
What does the Canadian Liberal Party stand for?
The Liberal Party of Canada is on the centre of the political spectrum, building on the liberalism school of thought. That combines progressive social ideas with moderate economics.
Since it took office in 2015, the party has implemented several policies and has achieved some major goals. Among its achievements include the Canadian Child Benefit, which the Liberals say has lifted 435,000 children out of poverty.
As well as that, the party has given 2050 as a deadline for shifting the Canadian economy to net-zero, with new targets for vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035.
There are lots of other policies and achievements. On its website , it says: “Since 2015, we’ve been making real progress together to invest in the middle class, grow an economy that works for everyone, and protect our environment.”
Why was a General Election in 2021 called?
Justin Trudeau went to the Canadian Governor-General, Mary Simon, in August, requesting the dissolution of Parliament and a snap General Election.
According to the BBC , the Canadian Prime Minister went to the electorate seeking a clearer government mandate to move forward with.
However, it was seen by some as unnecessary as voters last went to the polls in 2019.
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