OTTAWA – Canadians will be going to the polls next month – less than two years since the last federal election.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Governor General Mary Simon this morning (Sunday) and says Simon accepted his request to dissolve Parliament, triggering the election.
In his speech Sunday from Rideau Hall, Trudeau says his government came to power under a plan to “stand up for the middle class.”
Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected Canadians, Trudeau added that his government “had their backs” with various support programs to pay their bills and keep food on the table and to keep working.
This will be Trudeau’s third election and is hoping to secure a majority government after his Liberal party was reduced to a minority in 2019. Trudeau started as Liberal leader in 2013.
We go to the polls Sept. 20.
At dissolution, the Liberals had 155 seats, the Conservatives with 119, the Bloc Quebecois with 32, the NDP with 24 and the Greens with two seats. Parliament also had five Independent members and one vacant seat.
In the riding of Leeds-Grenville, Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, incumbent Conservative Michael Barrett is running for a third time. Lorraine Rekmans is running for the Greens for a fourth time. Roberta Abbott will run for the Liberals and Alex Cassell is the People’s Party of Canada candidate. There have been no candidate announcements for the NDP.