Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party are falling further behind in the polls ahead of election day on September 20.
The latest election poll by Nanos Research Group shows that the main opposition Conservative Party under leader Erin O’Toole have climbed to 36% support. The Liberals are now trailing at 31% and the left-leaning New Democratic Party is in third place at just over 18% support.
Trudeau, facing a tough fight to win back the parliamentary majority he lost in 2019, was repeatedly pushed to defend his decision to force an election in the middle of a pandemic in a televised debate last week.
O’Toole, who is running a low-key campaign focused on a centrist platform, faced questions over mandatory vaccines, funding for childcare and his climate policy during the first of three debates.
The political party leaders square off again for a second French language debate on Wednesday (September 8), with the only English debate taking place on September 9.