National

Liberals lagging well behind other parties on nominating candidates as election looms

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 18 Mar, 2025 01:28 PM

With a federal election call expected any day now, the Liberal party is trailing well behind its rivals on nominating candidates.

The Conservatives have nominated 275 candidates out of 343 ridings, the NDP has 217 candidates and the Green Party has 208 — but the Liberal party has so far nominated just 185 candidates.

The Bloc Québécois, which only runs candidates in Quebec, has 42 announced candidates and 11 confirmed by nomination and says it plans to have a complete slate of 78 candidates when the election is called.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is widely expected to trigger an early election in the coming weeks or days.

The Liberal party has enjoyed a sharp rebound in the polls in recent months, driven by U.S. President Donald Trump’s frequent threats against Canada’s economy and sovereignty and Justin Trudeau’s dramatic exit from federal politics.

Carney is just days into the job after winning the Liberal leadership in a landslide a little more than a week ago and being sworn into office on Friday.

Anne McGrath, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's principal secretary, says the party is ready for an election and will have a full slate of candidates in "every riding from coast to coast to coast."

In 2021, the party had 201 candidates when the campaign began.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Ailing Pope Frances appoints new Archbishop of Vancouver

Pope Francis, who is hospitalized in critical condition with double pneumonia, has named a new archbishop for Vancouver. The Vancouver archdiocese says the Pope appointed Archbishop Richard Smith and accepted the resignation of J. Michael Miller.

Ailing Pope Frances appoints new Archbishop of Vancouver

Another earthquake for B.C., less than four days after cities rattled

An earthquake has struck off the British Columbia coast, less than four days after major population centres were shaken by a similar-sized tremor. But Earthquakes Canada says the latest quake wasn't felt by anyone and it occurred in the Pacific, 182 kilometres west of Port Alice in northwest Vancouver Island.

Another earthquake for B.C., less than four days after cities rattled

Windstorm knocks out power to thousands of BC Hydro customers along south coast

An overnight windstorm along British Columbia's south coast has knocked out power for thousands. BC Hydro is reporting more 7,000 people along southern Vancouver Island woke up to outages on Tuesday.

Windstorm knocks out power to thousands of BC Hydro customers along south coast

B.C. plans 'substantive changes' for interprovincial trade

British Columbia plans to enter a meeting with other provinces next week prepared to make "substantive changes" to its interprovincial trade barriers as the threat of hefty U.S. tariffs looms, Economic Development Minister Diana Gibson said. Gibson met virtually Friday with her provincial counterparts on the Committee on Internal Trade and said they were committed to reducing trade barriers within the country.

B.C. plans 'substantive changes' for interprovincial trade

Rain and possible snow melt set off high-water warnings for parts of B.C.

A series of wet weather systems bringing rain and a warming trend has prompted high streamflow advisories for waterways on B.C.'s south coast and the lower half of Vancouver Island. Environment Canada has issued rainfall warnings for Howe Sound and communities in north and eastern Metro Vancouver, saying as much as 100 millimetres of rain could fall by the end of the weekend.

Rain and possible snow melt set off high-water warnings for parts of B.C.

Liberal party kicks Ruby Dhalla out of leadership race

The Liberal party has kicked Ruby Dhalla out of the leadership race just days before the contestants were to face off in two debates in Montreal. Party national director Azam Ishmael says in a statement published late Friday that the decision was made unanimously by the Liberal Leadership Vote Committee.