Carney will ask Governor General to dissolve Parliament Sunday and call election, sources say
Voting day will either be April 28 or May 5, according to sources
Prime Minister Mark Carney will ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election this Sunday, Radio-Canada has learned.
The election campaign will kick off barely a week after Carney was sworn in as prime minister and appointed his cabinet.
Carney's trip to Rideau Hall to speak to Gov. Gen. Mary Simon will come a day before MPs were scheduled to return after Parliament was prorogued on Jan. 6.
An election campaign is expected to last between 36 and 50 days. Election day remains to be confirmed, but voters are expected to cast their ballots on either April 28 or May 5, according to sources that spoke with Radio-Canada.
Carney is making the call against a backdrop of public opinion polls that have placed the Liberal Party just out front in the coming contest.
Asked on Thursday about the timing of the election call, Carney told reporters the first person who will know will be the Governor General.
"What's clear is that in this time of crisis is that the government needs a strong and clear mandate. We're offering a positive vision for the country, a vision of action," Carney said, alongside Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi to announce a plan to eliminate the GST on all homes up to $1 million for first-time homebuyers.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has already pledged to eliminate the GST on all new homes sold for under $1 million if his party wins the next federal election.
According to CBC's Poll Tracker, the Liberals led by Carney are leading with 37.7 per cent, compared to Poilievre's Conservatives who stand just below that, at 37.4 per cent support.
While close in the popular vote, the Liberal voter base is spread more evenly across the country, which gives them a distinct advantage in the number of seats they could win over the Conservatives, who have concentrated support in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The CBC Poll Tracker suggests that if a vote were to take place now, the Liberals could secure 176 seats to the Conservatives 133.
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Speaking in Jonquière, Que., on Thursday, Poilievre said a Conservative government would speed up the approval of energy and resource projects to boost the economy.
"We will unleash hundreds of billions of dollars in power plants, nuclear energy, mines, pipelines, data centres and much more," he said.
"The economy will boom, raising funds for hospitals and schools. Most of all, we will be less reliant on the Americans. We will be self-reliant, sovereign and stand on our own two feet while we stand up to the Americans and stand up for ourselves."
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was in Hamilton, Ont., on Thursday accepting an electoral endorsement from the United Steelworkers (USW) union.
"In this election, under Trump's chaotic tariff threats and trade war, we need real solutions that will make a difference in people's lives.… In this election, there is only one choice for workers: Jagmeet Singh and the NDP's team of candidates," said USW national director Marty Warren.
Singh said he was "humbled and honoured" to accept the endorsement
"Mark Carney has been prime minister for a week now … but he has done nothing for workers who are losing their jobs in this country," Singh said.
The NDP leader said his government is ready for an election, accusing Poilievre and Carney of only being interested in helping billionaires and rich CEOs, while the New Democrats want to help workers and families.