It has been a tumultuous time in Canada. The shadow of a trade war with its long-time ally, the United States, President Donald Trump’s annexation threats, and the sudden transition of leadership from Justin Trudeau to current Prime Minister Mark Carney have all turned the nation’s political landscape on its head.
In three weeks’ time, on April 28, Canadian voters will elect the next federal government, sealing the country’s direction for the next four years.
The Liberals
The Liberal Party’s resurgence earlier this year coincided with Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats. The US President’s repeated jibes, including calling Trudeau a “governor” and Canada “the 51st state,” unexpectedly revitalised the Liberals, who had been teetering on the brink of a widely predicted collapse.
Mark Carney, 60, replaced former Liberal PM Justin Trudeau on March 14 and immediately sensed the populist pulse. “These are not ordinary times. We are facing the biggest crisis of our lifetime,” Carney said at a rally in Ontario earlier this week, announcing plans to build 500,000 affordable homes annually.
Alongside voter-pleasing populist measures, Carney has continued the rhetoric that worked well for the Liberals this year—standing up to Trump. “I made clear to the president in our call last week, I will reject all attempts to weaken Canada, to wear us down, to break us so that America can own us.”
In less than a month, Carney has cleared his first diplomatic hurdle—a phone conversation with President Trump that concluded peacefully. Poll trackers suggest the Liberals may win the election, although not by a wide margin.
Lauded for his financial acumen and recognised both in Canada and the United Kingdom, Carney has become the Liberals’ key figure. On his first day of campaigning, he promised a middle-class tax cut expected to impact up to 22 million Canadians. He also targeted his principal rival: “Negativity won’t win a trade war.”
Analysts believe that if Carney plays his cards right over the next three weeks, he is poised to retain the prime ministership.
The Conservatives
The Conservative Party, Canada’s official opposition, maintained a double-digit poll lead until January, when Trudeau stepped down and Carney reversed the tide. The party is led by 45-year-old Pierre Poilievre from Calgary, who has been a fixture in Canadian politics for nearly two decades.
First elected to the House of Commons at 25, Poilievre is seasoned in domestic affairs and known for his fiery rhetoric. He has capitalised on anti-incumbency sentiment and public frustration over Trump. “An entire generation is blocked from the dream of home ownership after this lost Liberal decade,” he said at a recent rally in Borden-Carleton.
His campaign slogan, “Canada First, For a Change,” reflects his nationalistic tone. With Canadians increasingly boycotting American goods and cancelling US travel plans, Poilievre has also pushed for lower taxes and a leaner government.
His anti-Trump, anti-Liberal stance has struck a chord with voters struggling with a housing crisis, stagnant wages and inflation.
New Democratic Party (NDP)
The left-leaning New Democratic Party is led by Jagmeet Singh, the first ethnic minority politician to helm a major federal party. The 46-year-old, a former Ontario legislator, is running his third federal campaign since taking over as NDP leader in 2017.
A strong presence on social media, Singh made headlines in 2019 when a voter told him to “cut your turban off.” His calm response—“Canada looks like all sorts of people”—was widely praised.
In 2022, the NDP supported Trudeau’s minority Liberal government in return for policy alignment. Launching the party’s 2025 campaign, Singh attacked both Carney and Poilievre, arguing that the NDP “could be trusted to look out for ordinary Canadian citizens and place their interest above anything else.”
While the NDP faces an uphill battle, the party remains influential in shaping electoral outcomes.
Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet has called on voters to hand his party the balance of power in what is predicted to be a minority government. Blanchet, 59, leads a party that runs candidates only in Quebec and has a legacy of advocating for the province’s independence.
Despite its limited geographic base, the Bloc holds 32 seats in the House of Commons, giving it outsized influence. In the past, it has even served as the official opposition.
Speaking after Trump’s latest tariff threats, Quebec Premier François Legault insisted that provincial representatives be included in negotiations with the US.
With Trump’s remarks and trade measures dominating the national conversation, parties across the political spectrum are focusing on who can best shield Canadians from external economic threats. The electorate now faces a decisive choice: continuity with Carney, a conservative shift with Poilievre, or alternatives offered by the NDP and the Bloc.
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