Canada Prepares For Federal Election

Canadians will cast their votes in the federal election today, April 28. The main parties contesting in the election include the Liberals, the Conservatives, the New Democrats (NDP) and the Bloc Quebecois. The country has been under Liberal Party leadership since 2015. Polls reportedly show narrow lead for Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal Party over the Conservatives, the main opposition. Notably, the election comes amid US President Donald Trump 's trade war and his threats to make Canada the 51st state.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is aiming for a clear majority in Canada’s 343 House of Commons seats. Canada has a "first-past-the-post" electoral system. In each electoral district, the candidate with the highest number of votes is declared the winner and becomes MP, regardless of whether they received a majority of the total votes. The government is usually formed by the leader of the party that wins the largest number of parliamentary seats. When no single party wins a majority of the parliamentary seats, the situation is called a hung parliament, and it can lead to a minority government.

Carney assumed the role of PM after Justin Trudeau stepped down earlier this year. Pierre Poilievre is another prominent figure in Canada's political landscape. He has been the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada since 2022. Jagmeet Singh of the New Democrats and Yves-François Blanchet of the Bloc Québécois are also making efforts to establish their presence in Canada.