Advance polls now open across Canada as voting in the election begins in earnest (Hamilton Spectator)
The Polls
Liberals lead in national polls heading into advance voting
- Liberals 43.7% / Conservatives 37.7% / NDP 8.5% / BQ 5.4% / Green 2.4% / PPC 1.7%
Polling averages from CBC Poll Tracker show the Liberals would win the April 28 election with 197 seats if the election were held today.
It will take a few days before we see any impact from the debates show up in the polls, but as advance voting begins the Liberals hold a national lead that is large enough to make them the favourites to win the most seats — and probably a majority government. The Conservatives are holding steady with more support than they’ve had in the last three elections, but it remains not enough as the Liberals are retaining the Bloc Québécois and NDP vote they have picked up since the beginning of the campaign. (CBC Poll Tracker – April 18, 2025)
A new survey by Abacus Data suggests 43% of Canadians believe the Liberals are most trusted to handle the economy, compared to 35% for the Conservatives. (The Logic)
On The Campaign Trail
In Niagara Falls, Ontario, Liberal Leader Mark Carney highlights his planned strategy for approaching the Canada-U.S. relationship in light of the Trump administration’s protectionist agenda. Carney also reveals that the Liberal party’s election platform will be released on Saturday. Carney is joined by Andrea Kaiser, Liberal candidate for Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake. The Liberal leader faces questions from reporters on the threat posed by China and the ongoing trade war with the US. (Vide » CPAC)
Toronto police are investigating after a Liberal volunteer said she was harassed for wearing a hijab while door knocking and then followed down a street as she was walking away with other volunteers. (CBC)
Poilievre pledges to bring back plastic straws (CP)
Debates
“Trudeau is not here” » The leaders of the four major federal parties have squared off in their second and final debate ahead of this month’s general election.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, the front-runner and former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, found himself placed on the spot repeatedly by his three opponents: Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet.
Carney’s opponents were happy to focus on the mistakes of his predecessor, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Carney, who has been Prime Minister for only one month, pointed out “I am a very different person than Justin Trudeau.” as he went head-to-head with Canada’s political leaders in a federal election debate.
(Global News / BBC // Video » CBC | At Issue )
6 big moments and takeaways from the final leaders’ debate (CBC)
CTV News political commentator Scott Reid says debate performances likely won’t alter trajectory of election race
Michel Cormier, Leader’s Debates Commission executive director says he was unaware Rebel News had registered as advocacy group
- The head of the Leaders’ Debates Commission said Thursday he wasn’t aware that right-wing media group Rebel News — which was permitted more opportunities to question leaders after Wednesday’s debate than most mainstream outlets — had registered as an official third party in the federal election.
Third parties are groups that seek to influence elections but aren’t parties or candidates, and they’re required to register to run ads. Rebel News and other right-wing media outlets dominated the question-and-answer sessions with federal party leaders after Wednesday’s French-language leaders’ debate. Rebel News posted on its website Wednesday that it had put legal pressure on the commission to give it greater access to the debates and was allowed to have five reporters ask questions.
Other outlets, including The Canadian Press, were permitted to have just one reporter at a time ask questions of leaders after Wednesday’s debate. (CTV)
