SASKATOON—With Canada’s federal election barreling toward its April 28, 2025, finish line, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is swinging hard, promising a whirlwind of change in his first 100 days as prime minister. Speaking to a fired-up crowd in Saskatoon on April 25, he laid out a plan to shake Ottawa to its core—slashing taxes, scrapping environmental laws, and cracking down on crime. Meanwhile, in Toronto, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh dug in, defending his role in keeping the Liberal government afloat and touting the dental care and pharmacare wins he secured for Canadians.
Poilievre, a Calgary-born scrapper who’s been a thorn in the Liberals’ side since his 2004 election to Parliament, isn’t mincing words. His “100 Days of Change” would see Parliament skip its summer break to ram through three major bills. First up: an affordability law slashing income taxes by 15%, putting an extra $900 in the average worker’s pocket each year. Dual-income families could keep $1,800. He’d also axe the federal sales tax on new homes up to $1.3 million, aiming to shave $100,000 off homebuyers’ costs, and drop the tax on new Canadian-made cars to boost auto jobs. Another bill would repeal Bill C-69, a 2019 law that tightened environmental reviews on pipelines and major projects, which Poilievre calls a job-killer. Finally, a sprawling crime bill would slap mandatory 10-year sentences on repeat offenders after three serious crimes, with no bail or parole.
“After three Liberal terms, Canadians are fed up,” Poilievre said, his voice cutting through the Saskatoon chill. “We’re talking lower costs, safer streets, bigger paychecks—change that can’t wait.” He’s banking on voters’ frustration with rising costs and crime, blaming the Liberals for a “lost decade” of economic drift. His platform, released earlier in the campaign, also promises to shrink the deficit by 70% through cuts and growth from policies like repealing C-69, though critics have called those numbers optimistic.
Across the country in Toronto, Singh faced a different kind of heat. The NDP leader, who’s been campaigning hard to hold seats in vote-rich Ontario and British Columbia, was grilled on why he propped up Justin Trudeau’s Liberal minority government until this spring. Singh, who struck a supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals in 2022, didn’t flinch. He said his support secured dental care and pharmacare for millions—programs he insists Poilievre would gut. “I couldn’t stomach a Conservative majority,” Singh said on April 25, standing firm in a city where his party’s urban base is under siege. “Poilievre’s cuts, his division—that’s not what Canadians need.”
Singh’s decision to delay an election wasn’t just about policy wins. He admitted to reporters that he wanted to block Poilievre from steamrolling into a majority. That choice, made after months of Liberal scandals and resignations, including Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s exit in December 2024, has cost him. Polls show the NDP slipping to single digits, with progressive voters flocking to Liberal Leader Mark Carney’s camp. Still, Singh is doubling down in places like Vancouver, where on April 22 he pledged to cap grocery prices and fight price-gouging, hoping to claw back support.
The campaign’s final days are a slugfest. Poilievre, who’s been hammering Carney as a Liberal retread, spent April 25 rallying in Saskatoon before jetting to Vancouver Island. Carney, campaigning in Ontario, called Poilievre’s platform a collection of “magic numbers” that don’t add up. A record 7.3 million Canadians voted in advance polls over the long weekend, signaling a restless electorate. With the Liberals holding a slim lead in polls, the outcome hinges on whether voters buy Poilievre’s promise of swift change or trust Singh’s plea to protect social programs.
Election day is April 28. Canadians will decide who leads the next Parliament.