ELECTORAL WATERS
In Ottawa, talk of an early federal election had been building in recent months as support for the Liberal minority government grew during the pandemic and as case numbers declined this summer.
Trudeau depends on at least one opposition party to survive the confidence vote that will follow the Throne Speech, which if lost could trigger an election just a year after the last one. But he is likely to win the vote with support from at least the left-leaning New Democratic Party.
"The reality of infection rates as high as in the spring ... changed the thinking that this is the time for putting forward a bold new vision that would be the basis for testing the electoral waters," said Frank Graves, president of polling company EKOS Research.
More than 9,000 Canadians have died from COVID-19 and more than 139,000 have been infected with the coronavirus that causes the disease, according to Health Canada.
So for now, Trudeau's green revolution will take a back seat to fighting COVID-19 and helping struggling Canadians.
"Sure, we're concerned about climate change, but I'm a mother. I'm concerned about my kids going to school," Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna, a former environment minister, said on Tuesday. ($1 = 1.3207 Canadian dollars)
