Where canada’s party leaders stand?

Two years ago, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals were reduced to a minority just months before a COVID-19 pandemic that spurred billions of dollars in emergency relief, unprecedented limits on travel and radical changes in how Parliament operated. Public-opinion polls have generally shown majority support for Mr. Trudeau’s handling of the crisis, and with the other parties’ approval ratings trailing behind, it is an advantageous time for Mr. Trudeau to call an election, and every party has known that for some time. If Mr. Trudeau can get the Liberals back to majority, they will not depend as much on opposition support for the next phases of postpandemic recovery.

ERIN O’TOOLE, CONSERVATIVES The 2019 election was a moment of reckoning for the Conservatives, who had hoped to unseat the Liberals but didn’t break through in Quebec as they had hoped. Erin O’Toole, who won the leadership last August, is looking to succeed where his predecessor, Andrew Scheer, did not. His party’s riding associations are, on average, wellpositioned to outspend their Liberal counterparts. But Mr. O’Toole’s real challenge is to promote policies and messages that expand the Tory base, such as embracing a form of carbon pricing and playing down the party’s social-conservative elements. JAGMEET SINGH, NDP

For two years, the NDP-Liberal alliance has kept the minority government functioning despite Conservative and Bloc Québécois opposition on confidence motions, such as last year’s budget (which introduced NDPfriendly programs such as universal childcare funding and extended pandemic relief). Leader Jagmeet Singh stressed that the New Democrats wouldn’t trigger an election while the main focus was on fighting the pandemic. Now that an election is here, Mr. Singh’s task is to retake lost ridings in B.C., gain ground in Ontario and Quebec and build a critical mass of support among young people.

ANNAMIE PAUL, GREENS

Civil war within the Green Party has left it more disorganized, and with fewer MPs in the House, than after the past election. Leader Annamie Paul has been trying to quell an internal conflict over Middle East policy that prompted a Green MP from New Brunswick, Jenica Atwin, to cross over to the Liberals this summer. For now, Ms. Paul and her supporters have successfully averted a non-confidence motion in her leadership, leaving them free to focus on winning her a seat (she currently doesn’t have one) and pressing for climate action on the campaign trail. YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET,

BLOC QUÉBÉCOIS

The Bloc more than tripled its seat count in 2019, hobbling the New Democrats and shutting out the Tories in Quebec. Since then, the party has repeatedly voted nonconfidence in the government, which could have triggered an election if not for Mr. Singh’s support for the Liberals. But the Bloc also warned Mr. Trudeau to avoid a pandemic election at all costs; this year, they tabled a motion to hold the government to that, and while all parties supported it, the motion didn’t clearly define when the pandemic could be considered “over.” So the election came anyway, and now the Bloc’s challenge will be to hold its ground in Quebec. Source: theglobeandmail.com