Trudeau splashes out as his poll lead takes a dive

Trailing in the polls and fighting for his political life, Justin Trudeau has released a manifesto filled with big-spending pledges.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Picture: AFP

Trailing in the polls and fighting for his political life, Justin Trudeau has released a manifesto filled with big-spending pledges 18 days after calling a snap election when he appeared to be heading for a clear victory.

The Liberal Party’s programme lays out an estimated Cdollars 78 billion ($84bn) in new spending over the next five years, and includes a high-quality, affordable childcare system, job creation, 1.4 million new homes and huge investments to meet climate targets.

The plan makes no mention of balancing the budget, but will be partially offset by Cdollars 25 billion in revenue from tax rises on corporations and the wealthy. The glitzy, televised launch of the manifesto came as polls showed that the ruling party had blown a five-point lead over the opposition Conservatives in the campaign’s first fortnight.

Trudeau, 49, had hoped to ride a wave of vaccine-related optimism to regain the majority he lost in the 2019 election, but has faced criticism for calling an unnecessary election amid a fourth wave of the pandemic and the chaotic evacuation effort in Afghanistan.

Both the Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, 48, Trudeau’s chief rival, and Jagmeet Singh, 42, leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party, have cast the snap election as a power grab. The polling aggregator 338Canada puts the chances of a Liberal majority at 4 per cent compared with a 49 per cent chance of a Conservative minority government. Polling averages put the Conservatives 2.6 points ahead of the Liberals with less than three weeks to go before the vote on September 20.

Trudeau was dealt a blow this week when figures showed that the economy had contracted in the second quarter, leading O’Toole to warn that Canada was on “the road to recession”.

Announcing the manifesto, Trudeau said: “We have a plan to move forward for everyone, on health, on housing, on childcare, on climate. Half measures won’t do.”

For the third time, he promised to provide clean drinking water to indigenous communities, 32 of which lack it.

The Conservatives have chided him for not releasing his manifesto earlier, calling it a “risky” plan. Their plan also includes billions in spending, with a vow to balance the budget in a decade.

Singh, the most popular national leader, polling at 20 per cent, has promised free prescription drugs, half a million affordable housing units and higher taxes on big polluters.

The Times