Trudeau has been criticized for calling Canadian elections in the 4th wave

MONTREAL – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his decision to call elections during a pandemic in the first debate of this month’s election campaign.

Trudeau faces a tough re-election battle against his Conservative rival, Erin O’Toole. The vote is on September 20.

“Why did you start the election in the middle of the fourth wave?” O’Toole asked Trudeau at a French debate in Montreal.

Trudeau said he needed a voter mandate.

“Nearly 80 percent of Canadians have done the right thing, they have been vaccinated, in fact twice,” Trudeau said, noting that Canada has a fourth wave because 20 percent have not been vaccinated.

“And because of them, we have to stop the work of democracy?” No, ”Trudeau said.

He criticized O’Toole for not requiring his candidates to be vaccinated.

O’Toole said he believes the country can find reasonable accommodations for those who have not been vaccinated, such as rapid testing and social distancing.

Four provinces, including Quebec and Ontario, the largest in Canada, issue vaccine passports that require citizens to be vaccinated to enter restaurants and gyms.

Trudeau called elections last month in a bid to win a majority in parliament, but polls suggest this is unlikely and he could even lose power to O’Toole and the Conservative Party.

Trudeau wanted to take advantage of the fact that Canada is now one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, but the country is now in the fourth wave driven by the delta variant.

Daniel Beland, a professor of politics at McGill University in Montreal, said Trudeau stayed with his position.

“His combat performance could help stop the Liberals’ bleeding or at least convince his base that he still has fire in his stomach, ”Beland said.

The 49-year-old Trudeau, son of the late Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, became the second youngest prime minister in Canadian history when he was first elected with a majority in parliament in 2015. He repeated liberalism in 2015 after nearly ten years of Conservative rule in Canada. combined with high expectations they damaged his brand.

His father was prime minister from 1968 to 1984 with a short break and remained one of the few Canadian politicians known in other countries.