Donald Trump might as well be on the ballot when Canadians vote for a new govt. The US president’s trade war and threats to make Canada the 51st state have infuriated Canadians and led to a surge in nationalism that has helped the Liberal Party flip the narrative heading into Monday’s parliamentary election, at least in opinion polls. Foreign policy hasn’t affected a Canadian election this much since 1988, when, ironically, free trade with the US dominated the political discourse. PM Mark Carney, the Liberal leader, led in the polls heading into Monday. Until a few months ago, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre was seen as a shoo-in to become the next PM. The first results of the polls will come in just after 7pm and 7.30pm EST, when voting hours end in the four Atlantic provinces, accounting for a little less than 10% of the seats in play. The vast majority of results will be released at 9.30pm, when voting ends in most of the country. The outcome of the election could be known shortly after these votes start to be reported.
