03 September 2021 - Canadian Federal Elections
More women than ever running in this election
Peter Zimonjic (CBC News, 31/08/2021)
All of the main federal parties have filed paperwork with Elections Canada detailing who will be running for them in the coming election, closing the door on any further changes to the candidate list before Canadians cast their ballots on Sept. 20.
All the major parties will be running a nearly full slate of 338 candidates, with the Liberals and the NDP telling CBC News that they have filed papers with Elections Canada for a full slate.
The Liberals say their list of candidates this year includes "health professionals, teachers, Indigenous leaders, LGBTQ2 advocates, entrepreneurs, scientists, Olympians and Paralympians, experienced parliamentarians," and others.
Canada federal election: How much trouble is Trudeau in?
Jessica Murphy (BBC News, 03/09/2021)
Canada's Justin Trudeau called a snap election in mid-August hoping an early campaign could net his Liberals a majority government. But with their lead in the poll vanishing at the campaign's halfway point, is one still within reach?
In August, when he called the election saying "Canadians need to choose how we finish the fight against Covid-19", political headwinds appeared to be blowing in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's favour.
Canadians were largely happy with the direction of the country and his Liberal government's pandemic response, polls suggested.
French debate faceoff: O'Toole makes debut, Trudeau looks to make up ground
Sarah Turnbull and Brooklyn Neustaeter (CTV News, 02/09/2021)
The two front-runners of the federal election campaign thus far faced their own set of pressures with Thursday's first French-language debate as they tried to win votes in Quebec.
The TVA debate kicked off with vaccine passports and the COVID-19 pandemic being the first topic of discussion as Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves Francois-Blanchet pressed Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau on his reasons for triggering an election amid a growing fourth wave of infections.
In response, Trudeau said that now is the time for the federal government to make big decisions, and Canadians should have the chance to weigh in.
Where the parties stand on gun control in the 2021 federal election
R. Blake Brown (The Conversation, 02/09/2021)
Gun control has been a heated political issue in Canada since the late 1970s, and the major federal parties all mention firearm policy in their 2021 election platforms.
The NDP offer nothing substantial. The Liberals commit to strengthening efforts to ban many assault-style rifles, while handing some authority to provinces to regulate handguns. The Conservative Party promises to crack down on gang crime, while weakening some firearm policies criticized by the gun lobby.