Ottawa : With just over a month until Canada’s federal election on April 28, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Liberal Party are gaining momentum, fuelled by a fierce national response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian auto imports. As the campaign enters its fourth day, polls show the Liberals pulling ahead of Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, with Carney’s promise of retaliatory trade action striking a chord with voters.
A Léger poll released today indicates the Liberals now hold a six-point lead, with 41% support compared to the Conservatives’ 35%. The NDP, led by Jagmeet Singh, trails at 12%, while the Bloc Québécois and Green Party hover in single digits. Analysts attribute the Liberal surge to Carney’s aggressive stance against Trump’s trade policies, which he has framed as an existential threat to Canadian sovereignty. Speaking at a rally in Kitchener yesterday, Carney declared, “Nothing is off the table to protect our economy and our people from this economic assault.”
The tariff issue has reshaped the election landscape, overshadowing earlier campaign themes like housing costs and inflation. Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, coupled with his warning of “far larger” levies if Canada aligns with the EU, has sparked a wave of patriotic fervor. Carney has capitalized on this, positioning himself as a defender of Canadian interests. In Ottawa today, he announced plans to convene with provincial premiers and Indigenous leaders on Friday to forge a united front, while hinting at targeted counter-tariffs designed to hit American industries hard with minimal domestic fallout.
Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has struggled to regain traction. At a campaign stop in Quebec’s Montmagny region, he criticized the Liberals for economic mismanagement and accused Carney of hiding his financial interests in a blind trust. Yet, his message has been drowned out by the tariff uproar. Poilievre’s call for limited use of temporary foreign workers in specific sectors has failed to resonate as voters focus on the U.S. trade spat.
The NDP’s Jagmeet Singh, campaigning in Ontario, has pushed a platform of middle-class tax cuts and healthcare investment, but his party’s support remains stagnant. Political observers suggest the tariff crisis has sidelined domestic issues, leaving smaller parties scrambling to adapt.
Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault, speaking at a press conference today, confirmed the agency is on track for a smooth election, projecting a cost of $570 million—slightly less than 2021. He also noted ongoing talks with social media platforms to curb misinformation, a growing concern amid reports of potential foreign interference from China and India.
As the campaign heats up, all eyes are on Quebec and Ontario, where seat-rich battlegrounds could determine the outcome. With Carney riding a wave of anti-Trump sentiment and Poilievre fighting to refocus the narrative, the race is shaping up as a referendum on Canada’s place in a turbulent global economy.
