From right to left: Elizabeth May, Andrew Scheer, Justin Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh and Maxime Bernier are all vying for the leadership in the 2019 election. (Screenshots: CPAC)
Over the next five and a half weeks, federal politicians will flaunt their platforms in an effort to convince Canadians to vote.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Governor General Julie Payette on Wednesday morning to dissolve Parliament.
UPEI Political Science Professor Don Desserud says it’s hard to say exactly what this campaign will look like.
“None of the party leaders are really attracting any kind of sustained enthusiasm or support. There’s no one like Justin Trudeau was himself in 2015, bursting onto the scene and capturing everyone’s imagination,” Desserud said.
He says the leaders have a bit of a dull finish currently.
“These are leaders that recognize they have to do something in order to attract attention. I am guessing the campaign is going to be a little more aggressive than we may have seen in the past, and a little more controversial to try and shake things up to get that attention they desperately need.”
Canadians will head to the polls on October 21st.
Desserud says four to six weeks is the more common length for a federal election campaign. In 2015, it was one of the longest ones Canadians have had since the 19th century.
“I suspect Justin Trudeau wanted to wait until the Manitoba election was over before they got right into it. But it could also be that they want fewer days to make mistakes. I suspect though that it was just a reasonable amount of time, that they could get through this campaign and they have the money they need and that they are raring to go,” Desserud says.
