Week 5 Federal Election Coverage
The Easter long weekend provided an exciting and eventful lead-up to the final week of the federal election campaign. Canadians voted in advance polls in record numbers, signifying a highly engaged electorate.
Leaders from the major political parties released their costed platforms over the Easter long weekend and this past week. As with every election cycle, the issue of releasing costed platforms late surfaced, with many Canadians expressing criticism over how long it took in the campaign to see each party’s numbers and written commitments. Notably, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s platform has faced scrutiny for its Trudeau-esque spending and deficits. Pierre Poilievre's Conservative platform unexpectedly includes year-over-year deficits with considerable expenditures, which has surprised many Tories and Canadians who anticipated a more fiscally responsible alternative to the Liberals.
Aside from costed platforms and ongoing threats from President Donald Trump, the final week was on the quieter side, as party leaders, campaigners, and volunteers across the country are approaching the finish line on what was a consequential election campaign.
Below is a summary of notable events as of this morning, April 25, 2025, and the announcements and commitments from the Liberal Party of Canada, the Conservative Party of Canada, and the New Democratic Party of Canada.
General / Notable Mentions
- Elections Canada reported a record turnout on the first day of advance voting (Friday, April 18), with nearly 2 million Canadians who voted. In total, it is estimated that 7.3 million Canadians voted in the four days of advance voting.
- President Donald Trump continues to state his position that Canada should become the 51st state.
Liberals
It was a quiet week on the announcement front for all parties, and the Liberals were no exception. Prime Minister Mark Carney has maintained a lead in the polls throughout the entire campaign period, despite his pedestrian French language skills, political inexperience, complex financial background, and some notable campaign gaffes – like defending (now resigned) MP candidate Paul Chiang. Since becoming Prime Minister, Mark Carney, with assistance from President Trump, has led a historic comeback for the Liberals that will be studied for years to come.
Announcements
- The Liberal Party released its platform, which includes $130 billion in new spending over the next four years
Conservatives
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made strides in narrowing the polling gap with the Liberals. With a loyal base at the grassroot level and the largest rallies across Canada, there is no doubt that Conservative support is strong. Despite high polling numbers for the Conservatives, Pierre Poilievre struggled to pass the Liberals throughout the campaign. Recent news coverage from this week has reported that Pierre Poilievre’s seat in Carleton may be up for grabs, with the risk of him losing it. There could still be a late comeback in the cards for the Conservatives, but that seems more and more unlikely by the day.
Announcements
- The Conservative Party released its platform, which includes $100 billion in new measures over 4 years, cutting the Liberal deficit by 70%, while carrying a deficit for four years
- Eliminate Canada’s electric vehicle sales mandates
- Currently, Canada has mandated that 20 per cent of new vehicles sold be electric by 2026, and 100 per cent by 2035
NDP
This election has not been good for the NDP, which has fought to maintain its strongholds with little success. It is also possible that NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh loses his seat in British Columbia. The fall of third parties like the NDP and Bloc has proven to be politically advantageous for the Liberals in picking up those progressive voters. Regardless of which party forms the next government, Liberals or Conservatives, the NDP will face an uphill battle in rebuilding their party and carving out their place in the House of Commons.
Announcements
- The New Democratic Party released its platform, which includes an additional $48 billion to the deficit over four years