Canadians are preparing to choose the next government in the federal election set for Monday, and there’s still an opportunity to gather information before you vote.
Since the campaign started last month, Global News has been monitoring the situation, including the commitments made by each major political party regarding pressing issues for Canadians.
If you’re still on the fence about your candidate, here’s a summarized guide to help you before voting day on April 28.
Mark Carney, the Liberal Leader, aims to secure a fourth term in office for his party.
He is contending against Pierre Poilievre of the Conservatives, Jagmeet Singh from the New Democrat Party, Yves-Francois Blanchet of the Bloc Quebecois, Green Party co-leaders Jonathan Pedneault and Elizabeth May, and Maxime Bernier representing the People’s Party of Canada.
This marks the first federal election campaign for Carney, Poilievre, and Pedneault as leaders. Both Carney and Pedneault are vying for a seat in the House of Commons for the first time.
Click here to find your riding and learn about local candidates.
What led up to this election?
Due to Canada’s law on fixed election dates, a federal election was mandated to occur by October 2025. The key question in Ottawa over the past year has been when this would take place.
This uncertainty was compounded by unrest within the federal Liberal party, reaching a peak in September 2024 when there were increasing calls for then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign following record-low approval ratings and significant dissent within the Liberal caucus.
In January 2025, Trudeau announced that he would step down once a successor was in place. Simultaneously, he prorogued Parliament.
Carney was voted in as the Liberal leader on March 9, and he declared an election on March 23, with Governor General Mary Simon approving his request to dissolve Parliament just before it was scheduled to reconvene.
The House of Commons and Senate had been inactive since December 2024 because Parliament was still on winter break when Trudeau prorogued it.
Carney pointed to the significant threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump, inaugurated in January and imposing several tariffs and sovereignty threats against Canada, as a reason for calling this quick election campaign lasting only five weeks.
Polls conducted by Ipsos for Global News at the campaign’s start indicated that Canadians viewed the Canada-U.S. relationship as one of the top three national concerns.
Both Carney and Poilievre want to begin negotiations with the U.S. on trade and security shortly after the election.
What have the parties promised?
You can find a detailed summary of each party’s promises here, but here are key points on the major campaign issues:
Tariffs and U.S. relations
The leading federal parties have all committed to enhancing Canada’s economy and diversifying its international trade to reduce dependency on the U.S. amidst Trump’s actions.
The Liberals propose a $2 billion strategic response fund to support the auto industry affected by tariffs while shielding manufacturing jobs and establishing robust Canadian supply chains.
They also plan to implement a $5 billion fund for trade diversification and eliminate all federal trade barriers by Canada Day.
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The Conservatives have prioritized enhancing natural resource development and exports in their tariff response plan, with quick approvals for energy projects such as pipelines and financial collaboration with Indigenous communities.
Poilievre has proposed a loan initiative for businesses affected by tariffs and committed to renegotiating the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on free trade promptly.
The NDP and Greens emphasize the need to prioritize…
Canadian businesses and manufacturers are prioritizing contracts with domestic firms over U.S. companies in areas such as defense. Additionally, they are suggesting the introduction of tax-free savings bonds to help stabilize the economy against the tariffs imposed by Trump.
The Greens propose creating an “economic NATO” of countries with similar economic interests to combat U.S. economic threats.
The Bloc Quebecois is concentrating its tariff strategy on supporting Quebec sectors that are impacted, such as aluminum, aerospace, and agriculture. Their plan includes relief measures similar to those implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and advocates for a “Buy Canadian” law that would incentivize the federal government to purchase locally-made products.
Affordability and Cost of Living
The increasing cost of living has emerged as the primary concern for voters, according to Ipsos polling for Global News, prompting all party leaders to commit to reducing the financial burden on Canadians, mainly through tax reductions.
The Conservative party plans to decrease federal income taxes by 15%, including a 2.5% cut to the rate for the lowest tax bracket. They estimate that individuals earning $57,000 a year would save around $900 with this plan.
The Liberals have pledged a “middle-class tax cut” that aims to lower the marginal tax rate for the lowest tax bracket by one percentage point, potentially saving Canadians up to $412 annually, according to the party.
The NDP proposes cutting the GST on essential items and services, such as groceries, children’s products like diapers, telecommunications bills, and home heating costs.
Moreover, they suggest increasing the tax-free basic personal amount for individuals making under $177,882 a year, which could save those Canadians $505 each year. The NDP intends to finance these tax cuts through an excessive profits tax on large corporations.
The Green Party’s “Fair Taxation” strategy aims to tax the “ultra-wealthy,” including large banks and tech companies, to help alleviate financial pressures on working families, and it calls for removing federal income tax on earnings below $40,000.
The Bloc Quebecois plans to advocate for tax incentives for seniors who stay in the workforce, as well as a doubling of the GST credit during periods of inflation that exceed the Bank of Canada’s target of 1-3%. They also support capping credit card interest rates.
Housing
All political parties are committed to increasing home construction to address soaring housing costs and insufficient supply.
Both the Liberals and Conservatives have promised to remove the GST on new home purchases, although they set different price thresholds.
The Liberals claim they will construct nearly 500,000 homes annually over the next decade.
Additionally, they plan to create a new entity, Build Canada Homes, to expedite the development of affordable housing.
The Conservatives aim to build 2.3 million homes over the next five years and propose selling off 6,000 federal properties to allocate land for new residential developments. Poilievre mentioned setting housing construction targets for municipalities, with federal funding tied to these goals.
The NDP aims to construct three million homes by 2030, replace the temporary House Accelerator Fund with a lasting $16 billion housing strategy, and implement national rent control measures.
The Greens’ housing strategy focuses on addressing tax and legal loopholes that inflate home prices and emphasizing on non-market affordable housing. They aim to build 1.2 million non-market homes within seven years and mandate the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to support this initiative.
The Bloc Quebecois endorses transferring federal land and properties at lower market prices and reforming capital gains tax exemptions to target real estate “flippers.”
Defence Spending
The Liberals, Conservatives, and Bloc Quebecois all commit to achieving the NATO defense spending goal of at least 2% of GDP annually by 2030, while the NDP proposes a deadline of 2032.
All parties pledge to enhance security investments in the Arctic, with the Bloc Quebecois advocating for Quebec’s aerospace and defense companies to receive priority for contracts.
The Liberals, NDP, and Conservatives have all committed to increasing salaries, benefits, and housing options for military personnel to help meet recruitment targets and address shortages, which the Conservatives aim to rectify within 18 months.
Both the Liberals and Conservatives have stated they will revise and streamline defense procurement processes to acquire equipment more quickly, while favoring Canadian manufacturers.
The Conservative platform forecasts an additional $17 billion in defense spending over the next four years. Poilievre has pledged to establish a permanent military base in Iqaluit, expected to be completed within two years of a Conservative government taking office, along with an Arctic naval base in northern Manitoba.
The Liberal strategy includes an increase of $30.9 billion to defense spending over the next four years, much of which will be focused in the latter two years. Carney previously announced new funding for Arctic security initiatives and partnerships with local Indigenous and Inuit communities.
The NDP and Greens have both stated they would terminate Canada’s F-35 fighter jet contract with the U.S., which Carney had initiated a review of following Trump’s tariffs.
What do the polls show?
Trudeau’s departure and Carney’s election have reversed a long decline in Liberal polling numbers, placing them ahead of the Conservatives throughout the campaign—although…
The competition has become closer over time.
Recent Ipsos polling for Global News revealed that the Liberals started the race with a six-point lead over the Conservatives, which increased to a 12-point advantage after two weeks.
However, Liberal support has dipped by five points since then, while the Conservatives have gained traction, resulting in a narrow margin of just three points in polls conducted following the two televised leaders’ debates.
The NDP has maintained a consistent support level of around 10 percent throughout the campaign, with the Bloc Quebecois at about five percent and the Greens at two percent.
Advance voting concluded recently, with approximately 7.3 million Canadians participating in early ballots during the extended Easter weekend — a new record for early voting turnout, as noted by Elections Canada.
If you requested a special ballot voting kit before the Tuesday deadline, you have until Monday to return it by mail or deliver it to an Elections Canada office. You can find more details about special ballots here.
If you’re planning to vote in person at your polling place, you’ll need to verify your identity in one of three ways:
- A government-issued ID like a driver’s license or passport that includes your name, photo, and current address;
- Two forms of accepted ID showing your name and current address (click here for a complete list of acceptable IDs); or
- Provide a written declaration of your identity and address with a person from your polling station vouching for you.
Most Canadian citizens aged 18 and older are eligible to vote and, as per Elections Canada, are likely included in the National Register of Electors.
Registered voters should have received their voter information cards by April 11, detailing their polling locations and voting hours. If you haven’t received one, you can reach out to Elections Canada online or via phone, or visit their website for your voting details.
Elections Canada states that having your voter information card along with an accepted ID can streamline the voting process, though it is not mandatory to possess the card to vote as long as you’re registered.
If you are not registered but meet the voting criteria, you can sign up online or at Elections Canada offices. Registration is also available on-site at your polling station on voting day.
For comprehensive information about the voting process, click here.
When will we receive the results?
Preliminary results will begin to emerge from Elections Canada soon after the polls close.
News organizations will use these initial results, aided by advanced data and statistics teams, to predict the election outcome. However, it will take several days for the results to be formally confirmed by Elections Canada.
Global News will provide live and real-time updates along with the election winners both online and via our broadcast channels.
Here’s a summary of voting hours nationwide as provided by Elections Canada (all times local):
- Newfoundland Time: 8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
- Atlantic Time: 8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
- Eastern Time: 9:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
- Central Time: 8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
- Mountain Time (and Saskatchewan): 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
- Pacific Time: 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Some electoral districts cross multiple time zones. In such cases, the local returning officer, with approval from the chief electoral officer, will establish one local voting time for the entire area, which will be noted on the voter information cards issued to electors in those districts:
- Labrador: 8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. NDT/8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. ADT
- Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine–Listuguj: 8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. EDT/9:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. ADT
- Kenora–Kiiwetinoong: 8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. CDT/9:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. EDT
- Thunder Bay–Rainy River: 9:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. EDT/8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. CDT
- Desnethé–Missinippi–Churchill River: 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. CST/8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. CDT
- Columbia–Kootenay–Southern Rockies: 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. PDT/8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. MDT
- Kamloops–Shuswap–Central Rockies: 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. PDT/8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. MDT
- Nunavut: 9:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. EDT/8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. CDT/7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. MDT
