Elections

Canada PM Trudeau is planning to call snap election for Sept. 20 — sources

Key Points
  • Trudeau aides have said for months that the ruling Liberals would push for a vote before the end of 2021, two years ahead of schedule.
  • Trudeau only has a minority government and relies on opposition parties to push through legislation.
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada September 25, 2020.
Blair Gable | Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is planning to call a snap election for Sept. 20 and intends to make the formal announcement this Sunday, four sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Trudeau aides have said for months that the ruling Liberals would push for a vote before the end of 2021, two years ahead of schedule. Trudeau only has a minority government and relies on opposition parties to push through legislation.

The Liberals racked up record levels of debt as they spent heavily to protect the economy from COVID-19. Growth is set to rebound in the third quarter and Canada currently has one of the world's best inoculation records.

To formally launch the campaign Trudeau will need to visit Governor General Mary Simon, the personal representative of head of state Queen Elizabeth, to ask that Parliament be dissolved.

That visit is currently planned for the morning of Aug. 15, said the sources, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation.

Constitutional experts say Simon will agree to the request.

The Liberal party did not immediately respond to a request for comment.