Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told reporters on Tuesday that Canadians don’t want an election, despite polls showing an overwhelming majority disapprove of her governing Liberal Party.
“Canadians don’t want elections, they just want us to do the job. They want us to govern,” she told the Globe and Mail’s Marieke Walsh.
Joly was one of a number of Liberal Ministers who fielded questions following the Liberals’ caucus meeting in Nanaimo, BC.
Speculation surrounding a potential election before the next schedule date of October 2025 has increased since the NDP announced they were ending their Supply and Confidence (a de facto coalition) with the Liberals, which protected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s party from a confidence vote.
Since then, a new Leger poll reveals that nearly half of Canadians (47%) favour calling an election now, with a strong preference among Conservative supporters for an immediate vote.
Conversely, about a third prefer sticking to the scheduled election in October 2025. Among those desiring an early election, a majority wish for it to occur this fall.
The Conservative Party holds a significant lead at 45%, with the Liberals at 25%, and the NDP at 15%.
