Canadians Will Exercise Their Right to Vote

Avery Kachmarsky

Staff Writer 

After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation due to a decline in popularity, changes in U.S. policies, and members of his own party resigning, Canada will conduct elections on April 28. The top two parties, and subsequent candidates, are the Liberal Party with Mark Carney and the Conservative Party with Pierre Poilievre, according to CNN. Additionally, the New Democratic Party, the Green Party, and the Bloc Québécois all have slim chances of winning the election. Initially, as the November elections for the U.S. ushered in a second Trump term, the Conservative Party was trending upward in popularity. However, recent policy shifts from the U.S., including a 25 percent  duty on Canadian goods, have allowed for the Liberal Party to gain momentum, also as reported by  CNN. As the world watches decisions from the White House, countries and candidates who disapprove of Trump’s policies or initiatives are portraying themselves as opposites, so that they can preserve their chance of success in any campaign and maintain respect on the world stage.

In response, Mark Carney has advocated  against tariffs because of the harmful consequences they have for both Americans and Canadians by raising prices on goods such as vehicles and homes. Carney has also vowed to create closer ties, especially economic ties, with allies who care about the nation and wish to protect it and their own nations from harm. Due to his economic background, and his links to Brexit, he is the leading candidate on trade, and his popularity rose from being the best choice to maximize and protect the Canadian economy. 

Despite calls from every candidate to maintain a strong Canada, there have been no official plans to persuade President Trump to remove the tariffs and to stop his claim that Canada should be the next U.S. state, as stated by The New York Times. Poilievre maintains his Conservative stance, with key policies being changing sentences for crimes and cutting funding for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the English news network. Although he has stated he does not support the actions of President Trump, his policies mirror those of Trump’s, and this may hurt the chance of his party winning the election. His demeanor of boasting about himself and others on the campaign trail has also led to a surge in support for the Liberal Party who seeks to increase support for the nation and to denounce Trump and others who threaten Canada, according to The Associated Press. Another issue of Poilievre’s campaign is the creation of pipelines to transfer resources abroad, which will disrupt other provinces and Indigenous groups and violate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, as declared by CBC. By opposing this declaration, Poilievre puts himself against those who want to control their own land and may face troubles in the polls.While the candidates and parties debate one another for control over Canada, they must also focus on the international implications of the election. To combat negative popularity and to avoid future resignations, the candidate and party that wins will have to make Canada a dominant world power by directly negotiating for trade without tariffs, promoting peace, and an end to conflict worldwide. Carney has also distanced himself from Trudeau and plans to minimize his Cabinet while also advocating for investments within the country, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. By running on a campaign with promises to return investors and create a strong economy and to bring respect to Canada, people will be inclined to vote for Carney. While Carney has relationships with European nations due to his previous work, Poilievre may feel the need to distance Canada from allies and partners to increase the nation’s strength. Despite the outcome, there will be a collision with possible new policies or claims from the Trump administration that may put Canadian strength and sovereignty to question, but it will be necessary for the next leader of Canada to back their nation and the people they serve.

Image courtesy of Getty Images.