Canadians Turn on Justin Trudeau Over Early Election

“When Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a snap election last month, the question most observers asked was would his Liberal party win enough seats to become a majority in parliament, or simply increase the size of his minority,” the Financial Times reports.

“His government was lauded for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, injecting billions of dollars into the economy and acquiring enough vaccine doses to inoculate the entire population a few times over. Canada’s per capita vaccination rate is now one of the highest in the world.”

“But two weeks into the campaign, his Conservative rivals are ahead in the polls, buoyed by a detailed policy platform that eschews fiscal frugality for billions of dollars in new stimulus spending. Trudeau faces a likeable opponent in Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, competition from the left, and dismay among voters over what many see as an unnecessary election during a fourth wave of the pandemic, just as their children head back to school.”