Justin has forgotten the Harper lesson

21-9-10 Canadian Election: Could O'Toole's Conservatives Beat Trudeau? - TLDR > .

21-9-1 Canada federal election: How much trouble is Trudeau in?:

Canada's Justin Trudeau called a snap election in mid-August hoping an early campaign could net his Liberals a majority government. But with their lead in the poll vanishing at the campaign's halfway point, is one still within reach?

In August, when he called the election saying "Canadians need to choose how we finish the fight against COVID-19", political headwinds appeared to be blowing in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's favour. Canadians were largely happy with the direction of the country and his Liberal government's pandemic response, polls suggested.

Though the initial rollout of COVID jabs in the country had been slow and bumpy, many Canadians had been vaccinated more quickly than predicted. People were enjoying the summer as lockdown restrictions were being eased by the provinces.

"Three weeks ago it felt like pretty common knowledge - at least with people I was talking to - that it was going to be a cakewalk for the Liberals," said Jenni Byrne, a political commentator and former Conservative campaign manager. But heading into September, Trudeau and his Liberals are in a different position.

Canadians seem to be wondering why an election - called two years early - was necessary, said Alex Marland, a political science professor at Memorial University.

The prime minister may have controlled the timing of the campaign, but he did "not provide a satisfactory narrative about why we need to go to the polls" leaving voters "grumpy and frustrated", he said.

[Trudeau is in power because Harper was resoundingly punished for pulling the same power-grabbing stunt. So was Theresa May in the UK.]

21-8-15 Canada election: Trudeau calls snap summer campaign:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called a snap summer general election as Canada enters into its pandemic fourth wave. The general election comes as polls indicate his minority Liberal government looks within reach of forming a majority. The 49-year-old Liberal leader says "Canadians need to choose how we finish the fight against Covid-19".

Canadians will vote on 20 September, some two years ahead of schedule.