Canadian PM Justin Trudeau in a bid to win a majority of seats in Parliament, gambled on an early election, almost two years before the deadline. However, he now faces the threat of losing out on his power.
Erin O'Toole, a Conservative leader who has emerged as a strong contender against the incumbent Trudeau, on being called in for an early or snap elections said, 'he didn't want one'.
"Now's not the time for an election. We can all wait and go to the polls when it's safe." Erin said.
Trudeau is betting that Canadians will reward him for navigating the coronavirus crisis better than most countries did. But his ratings have tumbled since the announcement of polls and conservatives have made big gains.
While both sides have exchanged barbs at each other during a mere 35-day election campaign sprint, Robert Bothwell, professor of Canadian History and International Relations at the University of Toronto has remarked, "Trudeau made an incredibly stupid error in judgement".
Trudeau has struggled to explain why an early election during a worsening fourth wave of Covid-19 was a good idea.