he federal election campaign is intensifying as both Liberal Leader Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre turn their attention to Quebec, a seat-rich province critical to electoral success with 78 federal ridings at stake.
After drawing an estimated crowd of 4,500 supporters at a rally in Hamilton Tuesday night, Poilievre continues his momentum with a news conference in Montmagny, Quebec scheduled around noon today, followed by a high-energy evening rally in Quebec City.
Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Mark Carney, who launched his campaign in Atlantic Canada, is making several stops in Ontario today, including a major announcement and facility tour in Windsor, a second tour in London, and a rally in Kitchener. Carney confirmed Tuesday morning that he will head to Quebec in two days, reinforcing the party’s strategic pivot toward the province.
The shift comes amid changing political dynamics in Quebec, where recent Leger polling shows the Liberals regaining ground from the Bloc Québécois, with 44% of decided voters now backing the Liberals, compared to 38% for the Conservatives. The NDP trails at 6%, according to the same survey.
The Liberal campaign has faced criticism this week after Carney declined to participate in a proposed French-language leaders debate hosted by TVA, which has since been cancelled. Leaders from other parties, including Poilievre, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, have openly condemned Carney’s absence.
“The Liberals want to be re-elected for a fourth term, but their leader is too afraid to debate me in French,” Poilievre said on social media. “If Mark Carney is too fragile to debate other leaders, how can he stand up to Donald Trump?”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who began the week in Montreal, is also campaigning across southern Ontario today. His agenda includes an announcement at a seniors’ recreation centre in Hamilton, followed by a campaign event in London later in the day.
As election day approaches, all major parties are ramping up their outreach efforts in Quebec, recognizing its central role in shaping the outcome of the 2025 federal election.