Just hours left before Carney is expected to trigger election

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OTTAWA — With just hours left to go before a widely expected election call, the main political parties are gearing up as their leaders pitch themselves as the best people to lead Canada through a trade war with the U.S.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to ask Gov. Gen. Mary Simon tomorrow to dissolve Parliament and call for an election, with a vote to take place at the end of April or early May.

That election call means the House of Commons won’t return to work Monday as scheduled.

The election comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to threaten Canada’s sovereignty and pursues a trade war by levying steep tariffs on Canadian goods.

Canada has fought back with retaliatory tariffs and one of the key ballot questions is certain to be which party, and party leader, is best equipped to confront Trump’s aggressive trade agenda.

Justin Trudeau’s resignation as Liberal leader and prime minister, his replacement by Carney and Trump’s return to the White House have upended the Canadian political scene — largely eliminating the substantial polling lead the Conservatives enjoyed and compelling Carney, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to adjust their messaging.

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The government has made a flurry of announcements in recent days with the election looming.

Carney emerged from a meeting with premiers in Ottawa on Friday with an agreement to develop a national trade corridor to better move energy and critical minerals.

On Saturday, the Liberals announced that as of May, all eligible Canadians will be able to apply for the party’s cornerstone dental care program. The program was launched initially for seniors in December 2023 and has been expanded in phases to cover children and people with disabilities.

The federal Conservatives have not said whether they would keep funding the program, which was the product of a supply-and-confidence agreement between the Liberals and the NDP.

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Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu also announced funding will be continued through 2026 for Jordan’s Principle, which attempts to ensure First Nations children have equal access to government services.

The Conservative have had a flurry of policy proposals of their own in recent days.

Poilievre has pledged a boost in training and employment for workers in the skilled trades. The plan would see the federal government offer apprenticeship grants of up to $4,000 and work with provinces to harmonize health and safety regulations to allow tradespeople to work anywhere in Canada.

He has also made promises in recent days about pre-approved construction permits for major resource or energy projects as well as better access to northern Ontario’s lucrative Ring of Fire region.

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