News Analysis
Canada’s 45th general election started and ended with U.S. President Donald Trump making waves, but there were also unrelated and noteworthy events that could’ve shaped voters’ opinions.
Among those was Beijing foreign interference events, infighting in the Conservative/Ontario Progressive Conservative camp, and leaders’ debates with more controversy in the media room than on the stage.
None of these, however, likely moved the needle more than Trump. The election was launched by recently sworn-in Prime Minister Mark Carney on March 23, as he said he was seeking a strong mandate to deal with Trump’s tariffs.
People walk past election signs for various political parties in Montreal ahead of the opening of polls in Canada’s federal election on April 28, 2025. (Alexis Aubin/AFP via Getty Images)
Carney’s key campaign focus was on the response to the Trump presidency, saying the U.S. president presents the “biggest crisis in our lifetimes.” The new Liberal leader has sought to distinguish himself from his predecessor Justin Trudeau in some key policy areas, while keeping the focus in some other areas the same….