Canada Calls Snap Election as U.S. Tariff Threats Escalate

Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks a stronger mandate to address economic and sovereignty challenges posed by Donald Trump ahead of the April 28 vote.

Prime Minister Mark Carney officially announced a snap federal election for April 28, following a meeting with Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament.
The election campaign will last 37 days, the minimum allowed under Canadian law, and will determine the makeup of Canada’s 343-seat House of Commons.
Carney is seeking a mandate to confront U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war, which includes 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, with further tariffs threatened on April 2.
A surge in Canadian nationalism, fueled by Trump’s annexation rhetoric and economic threats, has bolstered support for Carney’s Liberals, who now lead slightly in the polls over Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.
Carney, a former central banker with no prior electoral experience, is running for a parliamentary seat in Nepean while framing the election as a choice of leadership to navigate Canada’s economic and political challenges.