TORONTO — (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to trigger the process for an early parliamentary election this weekend for an expected vote on April 28.
The election will take place against the backdrop of a trade war and sovereignty threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The governing Liberals had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared a trade war. Trump has repeatedly said that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state and he acknowledged Friday that he has totally upended Canadian politics.
What Trump hasn’t said is that the almost daily attacks on Canada’s sovereignty have infuriated Canadians, who are canceling trips south of the border and avoiding buying American goods when they can. The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered Liberal poll numbers.
The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But after decades of …