PM Carney Expected to Call Federal Election on Sunday, Voting Expected on April 28 or May 5: Reports

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to ask Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament on Sunday, triggering a federal election campaign with voting expected to take place on either April 28 or May 5, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The move comes just a week after Carney was sworn in as prime minister and introduced his cabinet. His visit to Rideau Hall will occur a day before Members of Parliament were scheduled to return following the prorogation of Parliament on January 6.

The campaign is projected to span between 36 and 50 days, making it a relatively short yet high-stakes race. Sources indicate that Carney’s Liberals are aiming to capitalize on a recent surge in public support, fueled in part by Canadian nationalism in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war rhetoric and controversial remarks regarding Canada potentially becoming the 51st U.S. state.

The Liberals, Conservatives, and New Democratic Party (NDP) have already geared up for the campaign. Party planes, buses, and war rooms are reportedly prepped, with high-profile candidates ready to join the fray. Among the Liberals’ latest recruits are former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson, ex-CTV host Evan Solomon, and former Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitão.

In an unusual move, Trump openly commented on the Canadian election, expressing a preference for a Carney-led Liberal government over the Conservatives. During an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump dismissed Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, calling him “stupidly no friend of mine” and indicating he would rather negotiate with a Liberal government.

“I think it’s easier to deal, actually, with a Liberal, and maybe they’re going to win, but I don’t really care. It doesn’t matter to me at all,” Trump said.

Poilievre, while campaigning in Sudbury, seized on Trump’s remarks, accusing the Liberals of being weak in handling U.S. relations. “It’s clear that President Trump wants the Liberals in power because they will keep this country weak,” Poilievre said.

During the campaign, Carney is also expected to face criticism over Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.’s decision to relocate its headquarters from Toronto to New York last year while he was the company’s board chair. Poilievre has already used the move as ammunition, suggesting it reflects poorly on Carney’s economic stewardship.

However, Carney’s team has dismissed the accusations, stating the move was technical in nature and did not affect Brookfield’s Canadian operations.

With the campaign shaping up to be fiercely contested, both major parties are expected to focus heavily on the economy and Canada’s relationship with the U.S. The election will test Carney’s leadership in his first bid for public office and could redefine Canada’s political landscape.