COMMENTARY: The spectre of Trump is haunting Canadas election. Heres whats going on – National [Video]

We are in the final stretch of an election campaign.

A campaign that started with a slight Liberal lead, which grew to a double-digit lead, and appears to be ending in a tight two-way race and a slight Liberal lead once more.

And record turnout at advance polls over the Easter weekend may suggest Canadians are more engaged in this campaign than usual.

But despite affordability, housing and health care consistently ranking as Canadians’ top concerns in our polling, as they have for the past several years, Canada’s shifting relationship with the United States became the driving issue of the campaign. While this is the first time Ipsos has seen Canada-U.S. relations emerge as a top issue, Canadians remain equally, if not more, concerned about core issues here at home. In addition, Canadians, especially older Canadians, are getting on board the “Buy Canadian” train.

Recent data from Ipsos reveals Canadians’ trust in America is eroding, …