The leaders vying to become Canada's next prime minister are officially kicking off their campaigns today, vowing to strengthen Canada's economy and stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney has confirmed a federal election will be called on April 28, speaking outside Rideau Hall after requesting Parliament be dissolved.
Carney will be running in the Ottawa riding of Nepean.
The Nepean riding has been held by Liberal MP Chandra Arya for the last decade, but the party recently revoked his nomination.
Carney will be running in a riding adjacent to his main rival, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, who is seeking re-election in the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton.
Canada's main federal parties shifted into campaign mode Saturday, spending the day gearing up for the official race to begin.
Poilievre held a campaign-style event at a coffee shop in Ottawa’s east end Saturday morning. He served some baked goods from behind the counter and, while meeting with a business owner, spoke of “getting rid of excess tax increases.”
Meeting with a father and his 35-year-old son who lives in the basement of the family home, Poilievre referenced his party's promise to cut the GST on new home purchases.
“Build, build, build, build, so you have a place to live,” the leader said.
Later Saturday morning Poilievre visited a fitness gym in central Ottawa, where he was presented with a flag signed by Canadian athletes from this year's Invictus Games.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa outside his party's campaign tour bus, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh suggested a Carney government might cut the dental care program the Liberals just expanded on Saturday.
"I'm saying that nothing is safe when (Carney) has proposed cuts to the operating budget," Singh said.
"It includes services, it includes health care, it includes pensions. It includes things like dental care. He has told us he wants to cut the operating budget. What services will he cut? He hasn't told us yet."
Carney did not hold any public events on Saturday.
The April 28 date is the earliest possible day to send Canadians to the polls under the Elections Act.
The election call means the House of Commons won't return to work on Monday as scheduled.
The election comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to threaten Canada's sovereignty and pursues a trade war by levying steep tariffs on Canadian goods.
Canada has fought back with retaliatory tariffs, and one of the key ballot questions is certain to be which party, and party leader, is best equipped to confront Trump's aggressive trade agenda.
Justin Trudeau's resignation as Liberal leader and prime minister, his replacement by Carney, and Trump's return to the White House have upended the Canadian political scene — largely eliminating the substantial polling lead the Conservatives enjoyed as recently as January and compelling Carney, Singh and Poilievre to adjust their messaging.
The government has made a flurry of announcements in recent days with the election looming.
Carney emerged from a meeting with premiers in Ottawa on Friday with an agreement to develop a national trade corridor to better move energy and critical minerals.
On Saturday, the Liberals announced that as of May, all eligible Canadians will be able to apply for the party's cornerstone dental care program. The program was launched initially for seniors in December 2023 and has been expanded in phases to cover children and people with disabilities.
The federal Conservatives have not said whether they would keep funding the program, which was the product of a supply-and-confidence agreement between the Liberals and the NDP.
Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu also announced funding will be continued through 2026 for Jordan's Principle, which aims to ensure First Nations children have equal access to government-funded services.
The Conservatives have had a flurry of policy proposals of their own in recent days.
Poilievre has pledged a boost in training and employment for workers in the skilled trades. The plan would see the federal government offer apprenticeship grants of up to $4,000 and work with provinces to harmonize health and safety regulations to allow tradespeople to work anywhere in Canada.
He has also made promises in recent days about pre-approved construction permits for major resource or energy projects, as well as better access to northern Ontario's lucrative Ring of Fire region.
With files from Dylan Robertson.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2025.