Canadians take to the polls Monday to vote on whether Liberal Party leader Mark Carney will stay on as prime minister. Pool Photo by Neil H./EPA-EFE
April 28 (UPI) — Canadians will vote for their next prime minister Monday, in a decision about which leader will guide the country through its current relationship with the United States.
Interim Prime Minister Mark Carney has been in charge since fellow Liberal Party member Justin Trudeau resigned from office in March, after polls indicated a loss to the Conservative Party in the federal election was likely.
Carney arrived at a time when United States President Donald Trump had recently changed the general relationship between the two countries with threats of annexation by the United States, which was followed by the institution of 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, cars and auto parts.
As Trump changed the relationship between the United States and Canada, polls in Canada also changed, in which the Liberal Party shored up support in a patriotic wave, which currently spots Carney and his party as the likely winners.
If the Conservative Party wins it would see its leader, Pierre Poilievre, step into the role of prime minister.
Poilievre ran on a platform focused on cuts to government funding, the lessening of environmental laws to allow for deeper use of natural resources and a reduction of bureaucracy.
The election has already seen around 7.3 million Canadians take part in early ballot submittals, up from the 5.8 million who voted early in 2021 federal election.
In-person voting began at 7 a.m. EDT in Canada’s easternmost province, Newfoundland and Labrador.