Richmondites – along with Canadians across the country – will be heading to the polls on Sept. 20 after a federal election was called on Sunday.
Gov. General Mary Simon has agreed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s request to dissolve parliament, triggering an election campaign amidst a fourth wave of COVID-19 and over opposition accusations it is reckless and unnecessary.
The Liberal party leader visited Rideau Hall on Sunday morning to ask Simon to pull the plug on the minority Parliament and send Canadians to the polls on Sept. 20.
Trudeau said Canadians need to choose how the country finishes the fight against COVID-19.
The campaign will last 36 days, the minimum campaign period allowed under federal law.
Both of Richmond’s incumbent Conservative MPs, Alice Wong in Richmond Centre and Kenny Chiu in Steveston-Richmond East, are running for re-election.
The Liberals and NDP have also chosen their candidates for Richmond’s two ridings.
The Liberal candidates are Wilson Miao in Richmond Centre and Parms Bains in Steveston-Richmond East.
Meanwhile, the NDP candidates are Sandra Nixon, Richmond school board chair, in Richmond Centre and retired teacher Jack Travato in Steveston-Richmond East.
Richmondites also recently headed to the polls to vote in the May 29 by-election and October 2020 provincial election.
The election call comes days after Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Teresa Tam warned the country was in the midst of a fourth wave of the pandemic with case numbers steadily rising in recent weeks.
The Trudeau Liberals were reduced to a minority government position in 2019. Normally, the government would have to lose a key confidence vote in the House of Commons to trigger an election, but the House isn’t scheduled to sit until September.
—With files from Maria Rantanen and The Canadian Press
