This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/world/americas/canada-election-stephen-harper-justin-trudeau.html
The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Canadian Election Underway as Long Campaign Heads to Photo Finish | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| OTTAWA — Despite a campaign that was the longest in modern Canada’s history, if remarkably swift by American standards, no obvious outcome has developed as Canadians vote on Monday. | OTTAWA — Despite a campaign that was the longest in modern Canada’s history, if remarkably swift by American standards, no obvious outcome has developed as Canadians vote on Monday. |
| Many analysts have said that Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a Conservative who has held power for almost a decade, called the vote on Aug. 2 partly in the hope that the more voters saw of Justin Trudeau during his first term as leader of the Liberal Party, the less they would like him. Early Conservative ads emphasized Mr. Trudeau’s relative political inexperience and concluded with the slogan, “He’s just not ready.” | Many analysts have said that Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a Conservative who has held power for almost a decade, called the vote on Aug. 2 partly in the hope that the more voters saw of Justin Trudeau during his first term as leader of the Liberal Party, the less they would like him. Early Conservative ads emphasized Mr. Trudeau’s relative political inexperience and concluded with the slogan, “He’s just not ready.” |
| But over the past week, polls have shown Mr. Trudeau and his party steadily increasing their hold on the lead, although not by a sufficient margin for many polling companies to predict a Liberal victory. | But over the past week, polls have shown Mr. Trudeau and his party steadily increasing their hold on the lead, although not by a sufficient margin for many polling companies to predict a Liberal victory. |
| Conversely, the New Democratic Party, led by Tom Mulcair, started as the front-runner in polls, only to fall to third during a campaign that, at times, left all three parties in statistical dead heats. | Conversely, the New Democratic Party, led by Tom Mulcair, started as the front-runner in polls, only to fall to third during a campaign that, at times, left all three parties in statistical dead heats. |
| But Canadians do not vote for the prime minister, nor for a political party. Instead, they elect 338 members of Parliament. Because national popular-vote numbers do not necessarily transfer directly to parliamentary seats, the fate of the New Democrats is similarly unclear. | But Canadians do not vote for the prime minister, nor for a political party. Instead, they elect 338 members of Parliament. Because national popular-vote numbers do not necessarily transfer directly to parliamentary seats, the fate of the New Democrats is similarly unclear. |
| Regardless of the three major parties’ positions in the polls, campaigners in Canada are acutely aware that the victory in Britain of David Cameron’s Conservative Party in May had not been forecast by polling firms. | Regardless of the three major parties’ positions in the polls, campaigners in Canada are acutely aware that the victory in Britain of David Cameron’s Conservative Party in May had not been forecast by polling firms. |
| While the Canadian election was initially met with summer vacation indifference, the cliffhanger ending appears to have attracted voter interest. Turnout fell to as low as 58.8 percent in 2008 and was 61.1 percent in the last parliamentary election, in 2011. But the agency that supervises federal elections reported that 71 percent more people voted in advance polls this month than four years ago. In some communities, the surge in interest created lines that persisted for hours. | While the Canadian election was initially met with summer vacation indifference, the cliffhanger ending appears to have attracted voter interest. Turnout fell to as low as 58.8 percent in 2008 and was 61.1 percent in the last parliamentary election, in 2011. But the agency that supervises federal elections reported that 71 percent more people voted in advance polls this month than four years ago. In some communities, the surge in interest created lines that persisted for hours. |
| For many Canadians, the election is something of a referendum on Mr. Harper’s approach to government, which, in the view of his critics, has been autocratic and often focused on issues important to core Conservative supporters rather than to a majority of the population. | For many Canadians, the election is something of a referendum on Mr. Harper’s approach to government, which, in the view of his critics, has been autocratic and often focused on issues important to core Conservative supporters rather than to a majority of the population. |
| The focus of the campaign has fluttered between issues including a scandal over Conservative senators’ expenses; antiterrorism measures Mr. Harper introduced; pensions; the stagnation of the country’s economy, caused by depressed oil prices; the government’s handling of refugees; the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact; and Mr. Harper’s attempts to ban the wearing of face veils known as niqabs during citizenship ceremonies. | The focus of the campaign has fluttered between issues including a scandal over Conservative senators’ expenses; antiterrorism measures Mr. Harper introduced; pensions; the stagnation of the country’s economy, caused by depressed oil prices; the government’s handling of refugees; the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact; and Mr. Harper’s attempts to ban the wearing of face veils known as niqabs during citizenship ceremonies. |
| None of the three leaders or their parties missed an opportunity to seize on that rising voter interest over the weekend. | None of the three leaders or their parties missed an opportunity to seize on that rising voter interest over the weekend. |
| Facing the possibility of losing power, the Conservatives placed ads that were wrapped around the front pages of daily newspapers in large cities owned by the Postmedia Network Canada Corporation. While labeled, in small type, as advertising, the pages included the newspapers’ logos, prices and promotions of unrelated stories inside. | Facing the possibility of losing power, the Conservatives placed ads that were wrapped around the front pages of daily newspapers in large cities owned by the Postmedia Network Canada Corporation. While labeled, in small type, as advertising, the pages included the newspapers’ logos, prices and promotions of unrelated stories inside. |
| After spending most of the campaign delivering standard election speeches in front of invitation-only crowds, Mr. Harper took a more theatrical approach in the final days before the election. At campaign stops, as Mr. Harper recited his party’s claims of what a Liberal government would cost individual families, a recording of an old-fashioned cash register bell repeatedly pealed through loudspeakers and audience members piled what appeared to be currency on tables. | After spending most of the campaign delivering standard election speeches in front of invitation-only crowds, Mr. Harper took a more theatrical approach in the final days before the election. At campaign stops, as Mr. Harper recited his party’s claims of what a Liberal government would cost individual families, a recording of an old-fashioned cash register bell repeatedly pealed through loudspeakers and audience members piled what appeared to be currency on tables. |
| While Mr. Harper, more than many prime ministers, has transformed and tightly controlled the mechanisms of government since first taking power in 2006, he portrayed himself as an outsider on Sunday. | While Mr. Harper, more than many prime ministers, has transformed and tightly controlled the mechanisms of government since first taking power in 2006, he portrayed himself as an outsider on Sunday. |
| “We do not want to go back to the days where the government ran for a handful of Liberal special interest groups and the bureaucracy,” Mr. Harper said in Newmarket, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. “And the Liberal campaign, when you cut away all the fancy rhetoric, that’s all it is really about.” | “We do not want to go back to the days where the government ran for a handful of Liberal special interest groups and the bureaucracy,” Mr. Harper said in Newmarket, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. “And the Liberal campaign, when you cut away all the fancy rhetoric, that’s all it is really about.” |
| Many of the crowds that gathered to see Mr. Harper in the final days of the campaign were noticeably smaller than those from previous weeks. The prime minister’s spokesman, Kory Teneycke, attributed that to the party asking supporters to join door-to-door campaigns. | Many of the crowds that gathered to see Mr. Harper in the final days of the campaign were noticeably smaller than those from previous weeks. The prime minister’s spokesman, Kory Teneycke, attributed that to the party asking supporters to join door-to-door campaigns. |
| On Saturday night, the Conservative campaign adopted another unorthodox approach, sending Mr. Harper to a rally organized by Rob Ford, the former Toronto mayor known for using crack cocaine and public drunkenness, and Doug Ford, his brother. While Doug Ford introduced Mr. Harper, the prime minister kept his distance from the more notorious of the brothers. Television footage showed party aides appearing to steer Mr. Harper and Rob Ford away from each other, and Mr. Harper shook hands with people in the crowd. | On Saturday night, the Conservative campaign adopted another unorthodox approach, sending Mr. Harper to a rally organized by Rob Ford, the former Toronto mayor known for using crack cocaine and public drunkenness, and Doug Ford, his brother. While Doug Ford introduced Mr. Harper, the prime minister kept his distance from the more notorious of the brothers. Television footage showed party aides appearing to steer Mr. Harper and Rob Ford away from each other, and Mr. Harper shook hands with people in the crowd. |
| Mr. Trudeau was also in an unlikely place on Sunday: Alberta, Mr. Harper’s adopted province and the Conservative Party’s traditional power base. An energy program introduced in 1980 by then Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Justin Trudeau’s father, had for decades made the Liberal Party an almost toxic substance in the province, which is dominated by the oil and gas industry. The younger Mr. Trudeau’s appearance there in the closing hours of the campaign was a clear sign of the Liberals’ newfound confidence. | Mr. Trudeau was also in an unlikely place on Sunday: Alberta, Mr. Harper’s adopted province and the Conservative Party’s traditional power base. An energy program introduced in 1980 by then Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Justin Trudeau’s father, had for decades made the Liberal Party an almost toxic substance in the province, which is dominated by the oil and gas industry. The younger Mr. Trudeau’s appearance there in the closing hours of the campaign was a clear sign of the Liberals’ newfound confidence. |
| Mr. Trudeau’s stops included Calgary, Mr. Harper’s hometown and a place that has not elected a Liberal since 1968. Several analysts said that drought could be broken this year. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that about 1,000 people attended a Liberal rally in a Calgary banquet hall on Sunday, and that several hundred others, unable to squeeze in, stood outside. | Mr. Trudeau’s stops included Calgary, Mr. Harper’s hometown and a place that has not elected a Liberal since 1968. Several analysts said that drought could be broken this year. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that about 1,000 people attended a Liberal rally in a Calgary banquet hall on Sunday, and that several hundred others, unable to squeeze in, stood outside. |
| “I’ve been coming out to Alberta for years with a message that this place is important to me, that this place matters deeply,” Mr. Trudeau said in Edmonton, the capital of the province. “It’s a message that I’m proud to deliver here with a big smile, as a Liberal, as a Trudeau and as a Quebecer.” | “I’ve been coming out to Alberta for years with a message that this place is important to me, that this place matters deeply,” Mr. Trudeau said in Edmonton, the capital of the province. “It’s a message that I’m proud to deliver here with a big smile, as a Liberal, as a Trudeau and as a Quebecer.” |
| Mr. Mulcair, who has criticized Mr. Trudeau and his party for taking on New Democratic candidates rather than Conservatives, turned his attention on Sunday to attacking the Liberals during one of his final campaign stops in Toronto. | Mr. Mulcair, who has criticized Mr. Trudeau and his party for taking on New Democratic candidates rather than Conservatives, turned his attention on Sunday to attacking the Liberals during one of his final campaign stops in Toronto. |
| “What Mr. Trudeau calls ‘real change’ is actually just the same old Liberal Party with the same old insiders pulling the strings and the same old scandals,” Mr. Mulcair said. | “What Mr. Trudeau calls ‘real change’ is actually just the same old Liberal Party with the same old insiders pulling the strings and the same old scandals,” Mr. Mulcair said. |