Be Ready for An Election on May 2, Liberals Say

The federal party has told its provincial counterparts that the date is most likely for a federal vote.

Sharpen your voting pencils, Canadians are going to the polls on May 2. At least, that’s the message senior Liberals have reportedly sent Ontario Grits. The timing breaks down like this: it’s an open secret that Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will present the budget on March 22. A few days later, unless Michael Ignatieff misplaces his backbone, the opposition will defeat the budget, forcing Stephen Harper to call an election. Federal campaigns must legally be a minimum of 36 days, and because Harper prefers short campaigns, that puts the election on Monday, May 2. If a vote were held today, polls indicate that the Conservatives would win handily with 37 per cent of the vote, compared to the Liberals’ 27 per cent.