[Source/Observer Network, Chen Sijia] The election for the Canadian House of Commons is currently underway, with voters deciding whether to keep the incumbent Prime Minister Carney and his Liberal Party in power or let the main opposition party, the Conservatives, take over. Due to Canada's facing threats of tariffs and annexation from former U.S. President Trump, this election will also become a "referendum" for Canadians on Trump.

According to the BBC report, the Canadian parliamentary election began locally at 8:30 AM on April 28. In response to Trump's remarks and policies that angered Canadians, countering Trump's threats has become the core agenda of this election. Therefore, many people believe this election is also about how Canada should deal with the Trump administration.

This week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told senior columnist Jonathan Martin of Politico: "Previously, people said 'the problem is the economy, stupid'; now it's 'the problem is tariffs, stupid'."

Canada spans six time zones, and voting times vary by region. The report states that voting in Newfoundland and Labrador began at 8:30 AM Newfoundland Time (7:00 PM Beijing Time) on the 28th, while British Columbia will start voting at 7:00 PM Pacific Time (10:00 PM Beijing Time). Preliminary election results are expected to be announced late on the 28th local time or early on the 29th.

The competition is mainly between the Liberals led by Mark Carney and the Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre. A latest public opinion poll released by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) shows that before voting started, the Liberals lead with 42.8% support, followed by the Conservatives with 39.2%, while the third-place New Democratic Party only garnered 8.1% support.

Canadian Liberal Party leads slightly in the latest polls - CBC report screenshot

Incumbent Prime Minister Carney positions himself as the "best choice" to lead Canada through the crisis, repeatedly accusing Trump of attempting to "disrupt and annex Canada." At a campaign event on the 27th, he stated that the decades-old relationship between Canada and the United States "has ended," and now Canada needs to strengthen ties with "reliable trading partners" such as Britain and the EU.

Carney, who has experience as governor of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, is seen as a professional capable of managing Canada's economy during turbulent times. He promised to "build again" in this country, creating new homes, new factories, and new sources of "traditional and clean energy," thereby reducing Canada's reliance on the United States.

Last month, Carney said: "I solemnly pledge to stand up for Canadian workers and Canadian businesses. We will defend our history, our values, and our sovereignty."

Canadian Prime Minister and Liberal Party leader Carney - Visual China

Conservative Party leader Poilievre positions himself as a "reformer," often criticizing rising housing costs, living cost crises, and crime issues in Canada. Speaking to supporters at a campaign rally, he said: "We need to vote for change so you can afford food and housing."

Poilievre proposed the slogan "Canada First," advocating for reduced government spending, streamlined bureaucracy, and the repeal of environmental laws. He once stated: "The Conservative Party will cut taxes, build houses, and fix budgets. We will unleash our economic independence by building pipelines, mines, (liquefied natural gas) plants, and other economic infrastructure to sell products domestically and internationally."

Politico noted that compared to Carney, Poilievre's political agenda does not emphasize the Trump issue. Poilievre rarely mentions Trump in his campaign activities but focuses on discussing domestic issues in Canada.

Canadian Conservative Party leader Poilievre - Visual China

The Canadian House of Commons has 343 seats, with members directly elected from federal constituencies based on provincial population ratios, serving a term of four years. Currently, the Canadian Liberal Party is the largest party in parliament, controlling 152 seats.

After Trump assumed the presidency of the United States, he announced increased tariffs on Canada and repeatedly threatened to make Canada the "51st state" of the U.S., causing concern and anger among Canadians. CNN reported that Trump's tariffs and annexation threats have profoundly influenced this year's Canadian general election, making how to respond to Trump the core agenda of the election.

CNN pointed out that when former Prime Minister Trudeau stepped down, the support rate of the Canadian Liberal Party continued to decline, falling behind its rival, the Conservative Party. However, after Carney replaced Trudeau as the Canadian Prime Minister, he took a tough stance against the Trump administration, announcing retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., which quickly reversed the poll results, and the Liberal Party's support surged dramatically.

In the past two years, Canadians have been dissatisfied with rising prices and a sluggish economy, and the Liberal Party's support rate dropped to around 20% last December, trailing the Conservatives by more than 20 percentage points. However, Trump's threats ignited a "patriotic sentiment" among Canadians, with many supporting the Liberal government in its resistance against Trump, reviving the Liberal Party.

Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said that the Conservative Party's significant advantage was erased in one breath, something unprecedented. "This scale of transformation has been underestimated. It is a response to a series of unprecedented events, largely driven by Trump's return to the White House."

Politico also analyzed that Canadian voters are very concerned about how to respond to Trump, yet Poilievre insists on avoiding this issue, which may create a "gap" between the Conservative Party and voters. This also diverts votes from smaller parties like the New Democratic Party, as Canadian voters do not want to waste their votes on parties that cannot win.

Dan Moulton, a strategist for the Liberal Party, believed: "The third and fourth parties are weakened because voters are flocking to the Liberals to stop Poilievre."

To many, this election is also a "referendum" on how Canada should deal with the Trump administration. Evan Solomon, a CBC anchor and candidate for the Liberal Party in the Toronto Centre constituency, said: "Among U.S. allies, Canada will hold the first referendum on Trump."

David Coletto, head of Canadian polling agency Abacus Data, told The Washington Post: "Federal elections in Canada rarely relate to specific issues. Fundamentally, this is about Trump and what he did to Canada. It makes us rethink who we are and what we will do."

Adam Chapnick, a Canadian defense research expert, told ABC News that after Trump took office, there was a significant change in the public's attitude toward the U.S. in Canada: "Canadians are trying to avoid traveling to the U.S., they are trying to avoid buying American goods, and the idea of 'no longer relying on the U.S.' has triggered some rather significant changes."

Scott Reid, Paul Martin's political advisor, bluntly stated: "Our closest geographic, economic, and security partner has placed us within its sights for the first time, undermining our sense of security. Then you encounter unprecedented events, with Carney, without any election experience, reversing a gap of more than 20 percentage points... This has never happened before, and it's all breathtaking."

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498355643275821608/

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