File photo (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

CANADA VOTES 2025

Opposition parties gearing up for federal election in anticipation of potential writ drop this weekend

Mar 18, 2025 | 4:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — The next federal election in Canada must be held no later than October 20, 2025. According to polls, the Conservatives are in the driver’s seat to form government, and put to an end 10 years of Liberal rule in the country. However, the recent leadership change from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney has provided some lift to the sails of the governing Grits, with speculation rising about a snap election call from the new prime minster.

Canada’s parliament is scheduled to return next week, but as of yet, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo has no plans in place for his potential trip to Ottawa.

“I’m expecting no stay in Ottawa. I don’t think I will be getting on a plane to be candid. But I have been wrong every other time before. Looks to me that we will see an election call before we get to Ottawa, but I’ve been wrong before,” said Caputo.

Speculation is swirling that Prime Minister Carney may prefer to call his own shot instead of seeing his government brought down with a confidence vote.

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“He’s not being straight forward about his assets. He isn’t being straight forward about helping Paul Martin balance the budget while he was in school. It really all leads me to believe, ‘What is he being straight forward about?’ I think that is why we do need an election and he needs to answer some really hard questions,” Caputo told CFJC News.

On the national level, the New Democrats have been unclear on where they sit, but locally, Bill Sundhu believes the time has come for Canadians to decide our path forward.

“The key thing is, what kind of leader — empathetic, compassionate — can bring Canadians together? Because this is a time for unity. It’s not a time for rhetoric like ‘Canada is broken.’ It’s not a time for politics of fear and division, and demonizing each other, which is what [Conservative Leader Pierre] Poilievre has done. What we will have is a stark choice,” said Sundhu, who confirmed he will not be running again in the upcoming election for the NDP.

Regardless of whether the writ is dropped in the next few days, both opposition parties are moving into a campaign mindset.

“There is interest and people are being vetted, but there is a lot of change here because Kamloops is being split into two ridings,” said Sundhu. “That means all kinds of new organization, new members, old members going to other ridings. We have been restructuring our membership and our executive and planning.”

“Certainly, I’ve already been out door-knocking, getting things together. These are things that are important regardless of whether the writ is coming. But certainly, I am preparing for an election,” added Caputo.

Should Carney call an election, the writ period must be at least 37 days, meaning Canadians would be headed to the polls, most likely, in early May.