Canadians will be electing a new federal government on Monday, September 20th.
As expected, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Sunday morning (August 15), where he asked Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament, triggering a snap election.
The election will take place in 36 days, the shortest election campaign allowed under federal law, and during an emerging fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the Delta variant.
The Liberals hope to be re-elected for the third time, but this time with a majority. By calling an election now, Trudeau avoids the possibility of a non-confidence vote bringing down his two-year-old minority Liberal government — potentially at a time that is more advantageous for the opposition parties.
Trudeau is taking a calculated risk in triggering an early election. He is counting on Canadians rewarding his government for its handling of the pandemic (including a world-leading vaccination rate), on opposition parties being unprepared for the brief election campaign, and for the election to take place before the fourth wave of the pandemic gets worse.
While the Liberals are currently ahead in the polls (an August 12th Leger Marketing poll has them at 35 per cent support, compared to 30 per cent for the Conservatives and 19 per cent for the New Democrats), their lead is not enough for a majority government.
Both the Conservative leader Erin O’Toole and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh have said an election is unnecessary and risky during the pandemic. While Elections Canada has stated a vote can be conducted safely during the pandemic, it has also cautioned vote counts could be delayed because of mail-in voting.
In the greater Kawarthas region, only the riding of Peterborough-Kawartha — which is the only riding in the region held by a Liberal — currently has candidates representing all four major federal parties. For the first time in that riding, all the candidates are women.
Incumbent Maryam Monsef, who was the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, will be up against three political newcomers: Michelle Ferreri of the Conservatives, Joy Lachica of the NDP, and Chanté White of the Green.
Here are the candidates named so far for the four major federal parties in the other ridings in the greater Kawarthas region:
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock
Jamie Schmale, Conservative (incumbent)
Judie Forbes, Liberal
To be determined, NDP
To be determined, Green
Northumberland-Peterborough South
Philip Lawrence, Conservative (incumbent)
Alison Lester, Liberal
To be determined, NDP
To be determined, Green
Hastings-Lennox and Addington
Derek Sloan, Independent (incumbent, elected Conservative)
Mike Bossio, Liberal
Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative
Steve Garrison, NDP
To be determined, Green
