Now that Canada’s governing Liberal party has chosen a new leader in economist Mark Carney, experts say Canadians should expect a federal election to be called sooner rather than later by the prime minister-designate.
Brandon University political science professor Kelly Saunders told 680 CJOB’s The Start that we’ll likely be casting our votes before long.
“I think the pressure is to call an election sooner rather than later,” Saunders said.
There’s also a need for some stability in Ottawa, she said, and an election would help bring that to fruition.
Despite the prediction of an early election, Saunders said there’s still a lot of work to be done after Carney’s landslide victory in the Liberal leadership race.
“Justin Trudeau does need to step down as prime minister; he needs to go to the governor-general. She then needs to go to Mark Carney and say, ‘OK, Mark, do you want to form a government?’
“Then he needs to be sworn in, then he needs to appoint a cabinet.”
Other experts across the country agree with Saunders that it’ll likely be a short turnaround time for campaigning and a federal election, with the Liberals’ newly minted leader taking advantage of the overwhelming support he received in the leadership race.
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Carleton University journalism professor Andrew Cohen told Global News he was a bit surprised by Carney’s wide margin of victory, but said it gives the Liberal party someone to unite and build momentum around.
“The power of the mandate says to the Conservatives, ‘We’re united, no one can say we’re a divided party,’” Cohen said.
“Liberals being Liberals, they did what Liberals do, which is they saw an option, they grabbed it, and they are now resurrecting and reinventing themselves.”
Liberal strategist Andrew Perez told 680 CJOB’s Connecting Winnipeg that Carney is expected to be sworn in and announce his cabinet by the end of the week.
“Canada will be into a general federal election probably within two weeks’ time,” he said.
Perez said Carney is wasting no time getting to work after Sunday’s victory.
“We’re going to have a new prime minister sworn into office by the end of this week … and I understand Carney is in full-day briefings today.
“He’s going to announce a new cabinet — a smaller cabinet — by the end of the week, and he’s going to hit the ground running.”
Political science professor Lisa Young at the University of Calgary says the Opposition Conservatives will have to make some decisions of their own, as Carney has promised to do away with the consumer carbon price — a topic frequently referenced by Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre in his attacks on Trudeau.
If an election happens as soon as many expect, Young said, Canadians’ minds might well be on a different topic altogether — the ongoing trade war between Canada and the United States.
“Can Mr. Poilievre make a pitch that, in fact, he is better equipped to deal with Donald Trump?
“Because if that’s going to be the ballot question — and I think it is — he can’t deflect, he can’t change the ballot question. He has to figure out an answer to that question.”
