Little changed when Canadians went to the polls in September to elect a new federal government. Despite being heavily criticized for calling a snap election amid a pandemic and just two years into his second term as prime minister, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party returned to power with virtually the same mandate they had prior to the vote while paying out as favourites to claim the most seats in the House of Commons.
While most Canadians are happy to put last month’s vote behind them, election season is far from over. Voters will soon head to the polls to elect a new mayor in both Montreal and Quebec City, while provincial elections are scheduled to take place next year in both Ontario and Quebec.
CanadianBettingSites takes a look at the recent Canadian Federal Election and what lies ahead for voters across the country. Sports bettors looking to get in on political betting action for the first time can refer to our betting guides to learn all they need to know to get the best out of their betting experience.
Trudeau Remains Resilient as Scandals Pile Up
After sweeping into power with a majority government in 2015, Justin Trudeau struggled to maintain his popularity in 2019, when he was humbled by voters, who returned him to Ottawa with a diminished minority government. In the two years that followed, Trudeau and the Liberal Party were beset by a series of scandals that brought his decision-making and ethics into question.
Indeed, policies and arrogant demeanour deepened the anger directed against him by many Canadians and lifted him to a strong bet to follow French President Emmanuel Macron as the next politician to get slapped in public.
The RCMP were denied access to documents to see if the law was broken in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. Today Trudeau would not say he would give them access when asked directly. A PM, seeking re-election, won’t co-operate with police. Read & RT #cdnpoli #elxn44 https://t.co/RCpP3qiJOY
— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) September 13, 2021
Despite the scandals and his government’s questionable response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the charismatic son of former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remained high in the polls. That was enough to convince Trudeau to call a snap election at the end of this past summer, in a bid to regain his lost majority.
O’Toole’s Conservatives missed winning government by 98,740 votes in 42 ridings, Hill Times analysis https://t.co/HVDT4rU06c via @thehilltimes
— National Newswatch (@natnewswatch) October 18, 2021
Faced with a growing threat from Erin O’Toole and the rival Conservative Party, Trudeau quickly plummeted in the polls after hitting the campaign trail, losing considerable ground to the Conservatives, who quickly emerged as high-value election odds at Bodog.
However, a five-week campaign of mudslinging, dirty tricks and misinformation ultimately took its toll on O’Toole, who backtracked on several policy proposals. And he paid the price at the ballot box, where the Conservatives failed to make gains despite being pegged as a solid bet to win as many as 128 seats on the political odds at Sports Interaction.
Spotlight on Montreal’s Mayoral Race
While Trudeau’s opponents regroup and begin the long march toward the next federal election, which is expected to be at least two years away, there is no shortage of opportunities for Canadians to go back to the polls in the weeks and months ahead. Following recent elections held in Alberta and New Brunswick, citizens of Quebec will be heading to the polls in early November to participate in a municipal vote.
Mayor Valerie Plante appoints team to assess potential of metro’s ‘pink line’ extension https://t.co/lOKHhnJgcb pic.twitter.com/XZ3wijoexC
— CTV Montreal (@CTVMontreal) October 22, 2018
The most-watched race is taking place in Montreal, where incumbent Mayor Valerie Plante finds herself engaged in a two-front battle. First elected as mayor back in 2017, Plante must now fend off a fresh challenge from the man she defeated four years ago, Denis Coderre.
A long-time member of the Liberal Party, Coderre was elected as a Member of Parliament on six occasions, serving in the House of Commons from 1997 until 2013. The 58-year-old enjoyed a rocky term as mayor of Montreal after being elected in 2013, facing accusations of mismanagement and wasteful spending before being stunned by Plante in his 2017 re-election bid.
A real estate agent chose not to advertise the property of a client for sale but instead bought it himself at a huge discount and flipped it for twice the price, going against several ethical rules. He’s now running under Denis Coderre’s party. https://t.co/ioUVLUqnt0
— Steve Faguy (@fagstein) October 14, 2021
However, with Plante failing to follow through on such election promises as to the building of the “Pink Line” metro extension and concerns about rising crime, gun violence, and the sagging fortunes of the downtown core, Coderre enjoys a strong chance of returning to the office. But neither Plante nor Coderre can underestimate the threat presented by Balarama Holness, who has shaken things up in the early weeks of the campaign. A former member of the Montreal Alouettes, with whom he won a Grey Cup, Holness has garnered significant media attention, but it remains to be seen whether that will translate into votes.
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Legault, Ford to Face the Music in 2022
At the provincial level, elections are planned in Canada’s two most populous provinces in 2022. In Quebec, Premier Francois Legault and the ruling Coalition Avenir Quebec party enjoy considerable support in opinion polls despite taking some draconian pandemic response measures, including the imposition of a curfew last winter, and plans to fire thousands of unvaccinated healthcare workers.
And so it begins. The @OntarioPCParty has launched shameless #attackads and the #onpoli polls are out. Note the significant decline in PC support over 2018 election. I wonder if @fordnation lack of leadership is responsible? https://t.co/cj1FOzSiZo
— Rod Murray (@mrmuzzdog) October 15, 2021
Things have not gone so well in Ontario for Premier Doug Ford and the ruling Progressive Conservative Party. While Ford has resisted taking measures such as a vaccine passport, and the province has seen a dramatic drop in the number of reported COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, he has seen his popularity take a massive hit. However, with the Ontario Liberals and the far-left New Democratic Party doing little to capitalize on Ford’s woes, next spring’s provincial election remains too close to call.