The Canada 2015 election is here, and live results will be available for those who want to follow along and see whether Stephen Harper can keep his Conservative candidates in power, or if Justin Trudeau can continue his momentum and knock off the three-time Prime Minister.
Canadians will head to the polls Monday for federal elections, with Harper seeking to win a fourth term. He could face a battle, as voters are showing signs of growing tired of the Conservative party amid a bottoming out of oil and metal prices, the Wall Street Journal noted.
“London and the surrounding southern Ontario region form a key battleground for Mr. Harper and Mr. Trudeau, who took the helm of the Liberal party at age 41 two years ago. Southern Ontario is home to Canada’s largest city, Toronto, and about one-third of all Canadian voters. Another party, the left-leaning New Democratic Party, is trailing in the three-way race. It will be difficult for either party to win the most seats nationally without capturing a healthy share of the towns and suburbs around Toronto, a region known as ‘the 905’ for its area code, along with the farther-flung cities such as London and Waterloo.”
Harper has been working hard in recent days to shore up his support among conservative fans, including the group that has gathered around former Toronto mayor Rob Ford and his family. Harper recently held a gathering of about 1,500 people, with an address from Rob’s brother, Doug Ford.
Watch live: Stephen Harper rallies supporters in Abbotsford, B.C. http://t.co/afOc4GhA1O #elxn42 #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/u8dVA5uzCy
— CBC News (@CBCNews) October 19, 2015
Stephen Harper tried to make a clear distinction between Conservative and Liberal rule, saying his party would be able to keep the economy moving forward.
“It is all about protecting jobs, protecting hardworking families, protecting local businesses,” he began. “We all know that were part of a very unstable global economy … a vote for [the Conservatives] is a vote to protect our jobs.”
Those who follow live results of the 2015 Canada election could see Trudeau’s rise come to completion. He has built a large coalition of supporters, with rallies that have drawn thousands.
3,000+ welcomed @JustinTrudeau to the North Shore for the last rally of the campaign. This BCer is proud! #elxn42 pic.twitter.com/QG2Ly79eUY — Brittney Kerr (@brittneyrkerr) October 19, 2015
For Canadians, the 2015 election has been one of the longest campaigns in more than 150 years. The election season began several weeks ago, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper moving to dissolve Parliament in August in what was the longest campaign since 1872.
The move was seen as a strategic one for Harper’s Conservative Party of Canada, which the Washington Post noted has a large war chest for campaign spending. Canada’s campaign finance laws limit spending, based on the length of the campaign, so Harper’s move to lengthen the season gave his party more of a chance to flex its funding muscles.
For the average Canadian, the 2015 election has felt like it’s taken forever.
Those who want to follow live results of the 2015 Canada election can click here for coverage from the Huffington Post .
[Picture by Donald Weber/Getty Images]