The next Canadian Federal Election is officially underway. Canadians will once again find themselves at the ballot boxes on September 20th, but this time, amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier today, after speaking with Governor General Mary Simon, that the process will last a short 5 weeks. Mandatory vaccination and the ongoing pandemic are set to be the big talking points throughout the election campaign. 

“We are experiencing a historic moment and you have something to say about it,” said Trudeau in a press conference Sunday. “You have the right to choose the future of our country, whether it’s to pursue our vaccination efforts, or to continue our support programs.”

This doesn’t come as a surprise to many following patterns in Canadian politics, as minority governments seldom tend to last the full four year term. If no election had been called by Trudeau, the next scheduled Federal election would have taken place on October 23rd 2023. 

Though minority governments often speed up the process, so as to secure a majority government sooner rather than later. The problem that many are citing with this sped up process, in this specific case, is that Canada, and the world at large, is still in the midst of a global pandemic. 

Opposition leaders Erin O’Toole of the Conservative Party, and Jagmeet Singh of the NDP both spoke out against the PM’s decision to call an election now. 

“You and your family should be the priority,” said Jagmeet Singh in a tweet on Sunday. “Instead, Mr. Trudeau has called an election because he’s focused on keeping his own job and his rich insider friends happy.”

Sources: GLOBALNEWS.CA, CBC.CA, THESTAR.COM, REUTERS.COM