Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to call a snap federal election on Sunday, setting the stage for a vote as early as April 28, according to sources.
A final decision on whether election day will be April 28 or May 5 has yet to be made but will be determined soon.
Carney was sworn in as prime minister on March 14 after winning the Liberal leadership race just days earlier.
Parliament was scheduled to return on Monday after being prorogued for two months following the resignation announcement of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. By calling an election on Sunday, Carney will avoid presenting a throne speech or facing confidence votes that could bring down the Liberal minority government. He also does not currently hold a seat in the House of Commons.
Since Trudeau’s resignation and the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the Liberals have seen a rise in several polls. The latest survey indicates the Conservatives are leading by a narrow margin with 35 percent of voter support, while the Liberals sit at 34 percent.
Trump’s trade policies and how Canada should respond are expected to be key election issues. The same survey shows that U.S. relations rank as the top national concern at 26.8 percent, followed by jobs and the economy at 16.7 percent.
Reacting to news of the imminent election call, both Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh signaled they are prepared to make their case to voters.
“I want to bring it home, and that’s why we need to put Canada first. It’s time to bring home our jobs, energy, and economic sovereignty,” Poilievre said, having been in campaign mode all week with near-daily policy announcements.
Singh framed the election as a choice between Carney and Poilievre, “who have already shown you they’re in it for the billionaires,” and the New Democrats, who he said “are going to continue to fight for you and your family.”
Carney is expected to make an announcement on affordable housing in Edmonton later today.
He has yet to confirm where he intends to run for his first seat in the House of Commons, though speculation suggests it could be in Alberta, a downtown Toronto riding, or a constituency in the nation’s capital.
The election is being called months ahead of the scheduled date, and while some adjustments have been made, several proposed rule changes were not approved before Parliament was prorogued.
One significant change this election is the addition of five new seats due to electoral district redistribution, bringing the total number of ridings to 343 from the previous 338.
