Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will travel to Rideau Hall today and is expected to ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and launch a federal election.
The prime minister’s itinerary, released Saturday night, shows a meeting with Governor General Mary Simon set for 10 a.m. ET.
If Simon approves Trudeau’s request, delivered in the form of a document called an “instrument of advice,” she will then authorize the dissolution of Parliament and the issuance of election writs, formally beginning Canada’s 44th federal election.
Sources told CBC News on Thursday to expect a 36-day campaign — the minimum campaign length permitted by law — which would place election day on Monday, Sept. 20.
Simon has the authority to decline Trudeau’s request for an election, though this rare event would be out of step with parliamentary tradition.
Opposition parties have argued against an early election call — Canada’s next fixed date election is set for October 2023 — with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh going so far as to urge Simon to refuse Trudeau’s request. Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said Monday he was concerned about a fourth wave of the pandemic but ready to fight an election if one is called, saying an election was only in Trudeau’s “self-interest.”
CBC News will have special coverage of the prime minister’s visit to Rideau Hall beginning at 9:30 a.m. ET on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC Gem, the CBC News App and CBCNews.ca. Listen to CBC Radio special coverage starting at 10 a.m. ET on CBC Radio One & the CBC Listen App.
Composite illustration featuring Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, left, Conservative Party of Canada Leader Erin O’Toole, centre left, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, centre, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet and Green Party Leader Annamie Paul. (Andrej Ivanov/AFP/Getty Images, Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press, Patrick Doyle/Reuters, Patrick Doyle/Reuters, Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
When an election is called, the federal government enters a “caretaker” mode, designed to limit most major decisions.
The federal Liberals continue to hold a lead in public polling, capturing 35.6 per cent of public support, against 28.8 per cent for the Conservatives and 19.3 per cent for the NDP, according to CBC’s Poll Tracker. That level of support puts them just in range of the 170 seats needed to form a majority government.
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Find out who’s ahead in the latest polls with our Poll Tracker.
The Liberals currently hold 155 seats in the House of Commons, while the Conservatives have 119, the Bloc Québécois 32, the New Democrats 24 and the Green Party two. Five seats are held by independents.
The federal election would be the seventh major campaign in Canada since the start of the pandemic, following races in Nova Scotia, Yukon, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and New Brunswick.
Election comes as new cases rise
The campaign would also take place as new daily cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in much of the country, in what Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, has described as “early signs” of a delta variant-driven fourth wave.
Tam has said that thanks to Canada’s high vaccination rate, a federal election could be conducted safely by putting in place health and safety protocols.
Stéphane Perrault, Canada’s chief electoral officer, called last summer for a longer campaign to give Elections Canada time to prepare health measures and logistics, though the agency says it can execute a 36-day race safely. The country’s electoral agency estimated late last year that as many as five million Canadians could vote by mail in this election.
Governor General Mary Simon holds the formal power to dissolve Parliament, leading to an election. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
An election call on Sunday would mark the official start of campaigning in Canada’s 338 electoral districts, though informally, many candidates have been at work in their ridings for weeks.
The way those candidates campaign will also be shaped by the context of the pandemic, with implications for how voters interact with parties and candidates.
At least two Liberal candidates are already refraining from or limiting door knocking ahead of the election call. Campaign literature featuring former MP Doug Eyolfson, running again in a Winnipeg riding, said he would not yet be knocking on doors.
Montreal MP Anthony Housefather said in a Facebook post on Friday that he would not be going door to door in apartment buildings or condos.
Opposition parties have argued that a federal campaign during the pandemic is unsafe, while Trudeau has skirted questions about a possible election.
“The problem is we have a prime minister that is about to plunge Canadians into an election during a pandemic, with the best public advice available to him, and at that same time we have his own candidates — including doctors — who are saying its not safe to do so,” Conservative ethics critic Michael Barrett said on Saturday.
Stéphane Perrault, Canada’s chief electoral officer, is shown in September 2019 prior to the last federal election. Last summer, he called for a longer campaign to give Elections Canada time to prepare health measures and logistics during the pandemic. The agency says it can execute a 36-day race safely. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press)
“We’re not in a situation where an election is necessary, but the prime minister is going to have one anyway.”
In a statement, the Liberals said Saturday that when “the next election arrives,” candidates “will follow public health guidelines, and that includes getting fully vaccinated.”
“Of course, our candidates also work in the context of their own community to take every additional step to meet the highest possible safety protocols,” the statement said.
Ad war has already begun
In the days ahead of the expected election call, both leading parties launched new ads. The Liberal spot, featuring a voiceover by Trudeau, features the slogan “Forward for everyone.”
The Conservative ad, a parody of a scene in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, critiques Trudeau for fiscal mismanagement. It was tweeted along with the line, “The only reason for an election is because Trudeau wants a majority.” But the ad was criticized as unprofessional by several MPs within the party.
The political parties have been making campaign-style stops and announcements for weeks now, as they also prepare for the coming campaign by raising funds and nominating candidates.
The government has spent the past several weeks on an announcement spree, with MPs and ministers crisscrossing the country to hold events.
TORONTO – Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans lined up outside the gates of Toronto’s Rogers Centre Wednesday, with hopes of snagging some of the pop star’s merchandise on the eve of the first of her six sold-out shows in the city.
Swift is slated to perform at the venue from Thursday to Saturday, and the following week from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, with concert merchandise available for sale on some non-show days.
Swifties were all smiles as they left the merch shop, their arms full of sweaters and posters bearing pictures of the star and her Eras Tour logo.
Among them was Zoe Haronitis, 22, who said she waited in line for about two hours to get $300 worth of merchandise, including some apparel for her friends.
Haronitis endured the autumn cold and the hefty price tag even though she hasn’t secured a concert ticket. She said she’s hunting down a resale ticket and plans to spend up to $600.
“I haven’t really budgeted anything,” Haronitis said. “I don’t care how much money I spent. That was kind of my mindset.”
The megastar’s merchandise costs up to $115 for a sweater, and $30 for tote bags and other accessories.
Rachel Renwick, 28, also waited a couple of hours in line for merchandise, but only spent about $70 after learning that a coveted blue sweater and a crewneck had been snatched up by other eager fans before she got to the shop. She had been prepared to spend much more, she said.
“The two prized items sold out. I think a lot more damage would have been done,” Renwick said, adding she’s still determined to buy a sweater at a later date.
Renwick estimated she’s spent about $500 in total on “all-things Eras Tour,” including her concert outfit and merchandise.
The long queue for Swift merch is just a snapshot of what the city will see in the coming days. It’s estimated that up to 500,000 visitors from outside Toronto will be in town during the concert period.
Tens of thousands more are also expected to attend Taylgate’24, an unofficial Swiftie fan event scheduled to be held at the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Meanwhile, Destination Toronto has said it anticipates the economic impact of the Eras Tour could grow to $282 million as the money continues to circulate.
But for fans like Haronitis, the experience in Toronto comes down to the Swiftie community. Knowing that Swift is going to be in the city for six shows and seeing hundreds gather just for merchandise is “awesome,” she said.
Even though Haronitis hasn’t officially bought her ticket yet, she said she’s excited to see the megastar.
“It’s literally incredible.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Via Rail is asking for a judicial review on the reasons why Canadian National Railway Co. has imposed speed restrictions on its new passenger trains.
The Crown corporation says it is seeking the review from the Federal Court after many attempts at dialogue with the company did not yield valid reasoning for the change.
It says the restrictions imposed last month are causing daily delays on Via Rail’s Québec City-Windsor corridor, affecting thousands of passengers and damaging Via Rail’s reputation with travellers.
CN says in a statement that it imposed the restrictions at rail crossings given the industry’s experience and known risks associated with similar trains.
The company says Via has asked the courts to weigh in even though Via has agreed to buy the equipment needed to permanently fix the issues.
Via said in October that no incidents at level crossings have been reported in the two years since it put 16 Siemens Venture trains into operation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
LAVAL, Que. – The Japanese owner of 7-Eleven says it has received a new management buyout proposal from a member of the family that helped found the company, offering an alternative to the takeover bid from Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
The proposal for Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. is being made by Junro Ito, who is a vice-president and director of the company, and Ito-Kogyo Co. Ltd., a private company affiliated with him.
Terms of the non-binding offer by Ito were not disclosed.
In a statement Wednesday, Seven & i said its special committee has been reviewing the proposal with its financial advisers.
Stephen Hayes Dacus, chair of the special committee and board of directors of the company, said the company is committed to an objective review of all alternatives as it considers the proposals from Ito and Couche-Tard as well as the company’s stand-alone opportunities.
“The special committee and the company board will continue to engage with all parties in a manner designed to maximize value and will continue to act in the best interests of the company’s shareholders and other stakeholders,” he said in a statement.
The company noted that Ito has been excluded from all discussions within the company related to the offer and the bid by Couche-Tard.
Quebec-based Couche-Tard made a revised offer for Seven & i last month after an earlier proposal was rebuffed by the Japanese firm because it was too low and did not fully address U.S. regulatory concerns.
It did not respond to a request for comment about Ito’s offer.
RBC Capital Markets analyst Irene Nattel said the latest development underscored her belief that a Couche-Tard deal with Seven & i is a “low probability event.”
“Assuming attractive pricing and a fully-funded transaction, the potential privatization from a friendly Japanese group would seemingly provide investors with the value creation event they seek,” said Nattel, adding that it would skirt potential competition issues in the U.S. and concerns around the foreign takeover of a core local entity for Japanese regulators.
Couche-Tard has argued its proposal offers clear strategic and financial benefits and has said it believes the two companies can reach a mutually agreeable transaction.
However, the Japanese company has said there are multiple and significant challenges such a transaction would face from U.S. competition regulators.
Couche-Tard operates across 31 countries, with more than 16,800 stores. A successful deal with Seven & i could add 85,800 stores to its network.
Seven & i owns not only the 7-Eleven chain, but also supermarkets, food producers, household goods retailers and financial services companies.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
