The Pollcast: 'Spec-election' in Manitoba
Ian Froese on the pending election call in Manitoba and David Cochrane on what's next in N.L. politics
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister now says that he will call a provincial election "for sure" in 2019, a year or more earlier than when his province was scheduled to go to the polls.
It means the country is likely to see one more election before the federal vote in the fall. So what's behind the decision to go early?
- Podcasts: Subscribe to the CBC Pollcast
- Canada Poll Tracker: Check out the latest projections
The polls suggest that the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives hold a double-digit lead over the opposition New Democrats, who were removed from power after 17 years in office in the 2016 provincial election.
But while the prospects for Pallister's PCs look good today, they might not be as rosy in 2020 — the economy could worsen, some of the government's efforts to reduce spending could begin to hurt and Pallister might no longer have a Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to campaign against.
To discuss why Pallister is planning to send Manitoba to the polls sooner rather than later, the CBC's Ian Froese joins CBC polls analyst and host Éric Grenier on this week's episode of The Pollcast podcast.
Then, David Cochrane sits down to chat about the results of last week's election in Newfoundland and Labrador and where the province and its political leadership go from here.
Listen to the full discussion above — or subscribe to the CBC Pollcast and listen to past episodes of the show.