Mike Cohen / CC
While many including the opposition leaders are questioning a federal election next month, one political scientist believes we need a clear mandate after the pandemic.
Minority governments typically only last about 18 months, so Mario Levesque says this election call shouldn’t be a surprise since we’re almost two years from the last federal vote.
Levesque, associate Canadian politics professor at Mount Allison University, thinks the economy will be a big issue during the campaign.
“We have to get people back to work. You have to get people to be able to get supported. Important in this process I think, is that there are lot of people out there who want to go back to work but don’t feel safe in their work environment because of COVID-19.”
Levesque expects our social safety net and items such as child care will come up often in the month-long campaign.
“If we want to get people back to work, we need more supportive policies for families. This is where child care spaces are crucial. We need to have adequate and affordable child care.”
With wildfires raging in parts of the country this summer, Levesque adds climate change will also be important on the campaign trail along with Canada’s role in Afghanistan and regional issues such as the oil sands and pipelines.
