With just under two weeks until Canadians head to the polls on April 28, party leaders are sharpening their pitches in a final push to win over undecided voters. This week saw a fresh wave of election promises as Liberal Leader Mark Carney, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh rolled out new planks in their campaigns — each aimed at a different segment of the electorate.
Polling suggests the race is tightening. An Angus Reid survey released April 14 shows the Liberal lead shrinking to six points, with the party polling at 45 per cent nationally, the Conservatives at 39 per cent, and the NDP at seven. Conducted between April 10 and 13, the poll has a margin of error of ±2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
For voters looking to cast their ballots early, advance voting runs from April 18 to 21 — over the Easter long weekend. There’s also still time to apply for work on election night, according to Elections Canada.
On the campaign trail, each leader is focusing their message on affordability and security — but their approaches differ dramatically.
Carney and the Liberals are looking to energize younger voters with the proposed Canada Strong Pass, a program that would give children and teens under 18 free access to national galleries and museums, along with complimentary VIA Rail travel when accompanied by a parent. Youth aged 18 to 24 would receive discounts. The pass would be available from June through August and complements the party’s plan to reduce national park camping fees over the summer.
Carney framed the announcement as a way to reconnect Canadians with nature and national pride in uncertain times. “At a time when our economy is under attack from President Trump, Canadians are stepping up — helping our neighbours, buying local, and celebrating our beautiful country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre focused his attention on older Canadians and financial crime. From Montreal, he announced a tough-on-fraud platform that would crack down on sophisticated scams targeting seniors. His plan includes mandatory real-time scam detection systems for banks and telecoms, penalties for noncompliance, and steep jail sentences for fraudsters — including a minimum of five years for fraud over $1 million and fines of up to ten times the amount defrauded.
Poilievre also promised a Senior Transaction Shielding Protocol, which would impose a 24-hour delay on high-risk transactions, giving seniors or any Canadian who opts in a chance to verify suspicious activity before funds are moved.
“We’ll mandate real-time fraud detection, transaction shielding for seniors, and public transparency,” said Poilievre. “And we’ll punish scammers with real consequences: jails and fines ten times the amount defrauded.”
Earlier this week, Poilievre proposed allowing judges to impose consecutive life sentences in cases of multiple murders — a move that legal experts say would require invoking the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, also in Montreal, took a swing at both rivals for backing off from capital gains tax reform. Singh accused the Liberals and Conservatives of siding with Canada’s wealthiest, citing a scrapped Liberal proposal that would have raised the capital gains inclusion rate from one-half to two-thirds for gains above $250,000.
“If you make your money flipping stocks, you should pay the same rate as someone who cares for patients, drives a truck, or teaches kids,” Singh said. He argued that the reversal benefits the ultra-wealthy while creating a $19-billion hole in federal revenue, including more than $1.5 billion in Ontario alone — funds that could otherwise support health care, education, and housing.
Singh also reiterated his key promises: universal pharmacare, more nurses and family doctors, national rent control, millions of affordable homes, and a grocery price cap to stop what he called “corporate gouging” by major chains.
“Canadians are already being squeezed by rising prices and Trump’s attacks on our economy,” said Singh. “We can’t afford another round of giveaways to people who are doing just fine.”
As the race enters its final stretch, Canadians face a clear choice between vastly different visions for the country’s future — and each leader is betting their targeted pledges will be the ones that stick.