Canadians will be electing a new federal government this spring.
On March 23 newly appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney dissolved parliament and officially scheduled Canada's next federal election for April 28. It's a move that's been expected for months but is welcome news nonetheless.
This comes after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's long goodbye to Canada when he prorogued parliament and resigned in January, giving the Liberal Party three months to select a new leader. While this was a politically savvy move domestically, internationally it left Canada somewhat rudderless as Donald Trump assumed the presidency of the United States. The last two chaotic months of the threat of tariffs and counter-tariffs are already impacting Canada's economy and society. If there is one thing we can all agree on, we need strong leadership to face this new world order Trump is creating.
Indeed the Liberal Party adopting Carney as their leader combined with growing anti-American sentiment has already impacted our domestic politics. If polls are to be believed, the Liberal Party now has a serious chance against the Conservative Party, which seemed unthinkable only a few months ago. It has helped make the outcome of this election far from certain.
What we know is that barring a surprise NDP comeback, it is most likely that either Carney or Conservative Party leader Pierre Pollivere will be our next prime minister. Carney is the former head of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England and while this is his first time running for elected office, he's been involved in Canadian politics behind the scenes for years. Pollivere, meanwhile, has been a member of parliament since 2004 and served at various levels of Stephen Harper's Conservative Government including as Minister for Democratic Reform and Minister of Employment and Social Development. This will be the first time both men have led a political party in a federal election.
Here in the South Cariboo, we will see a change in our representation no matter the election's outcome. 100 Mile House, the 108 Mile Ranch, Lac La Hache and other surrounding communities have all been rolled into the Cariboo-Prince George riding, currently represented by Conservative MP Todd Doherty. Doherty has represented the riding since 2015 and is prepared to run for re-election. As of the publication of this paper Williams Lake's Jodie Capling is running for the Green Party while Prince George residents Angie Bonazzo and Rudy Sans are running for the NDP Party and People's Party of Canada respectively.
Regardless of who wins locally or nationally, they will inherit a challenge. The cost of living, affordable housing, wage stagnation and toxic drugs were bad enough, but the added pressure of Trump's tariffs and his rhetoric of making Canada part of the US will mean our next government will be tested like never before.
It will be up to us to ensure we pick the candidates who will best represent and fight for us in the coming years. Be sure to stay informed as the campaign kicks off and make sure you have time to go to the polls on Monday, April 28.
