Minority government on the horizon, parties change strategy | Elections Canada 2019

Jagmeet Singh dances to the theme song of her campaign, surrounded by a hundred activists, in a residential neighborhood of Brampton East. The riding is vacant, the Conservatives, the Liberals and the New Democratic Party (NDP) all want it.

The NDP leader is banking on the first weekend of the advance poll to encourage voters to vote, aware that a high voter turnout has the potential to benefit his party.

I'm running to be prime ministerrepeat Jagmeet Singh. But he is now more aware that this possibility is becoming thinner. If we have a minority government, it will help us put our proposals in value.

He noted that universal health insurance was created in Canada at the time of the Liberal minority government of Lester B. Pearson.

In our country, many of the services we are so proud of, like our health care system, were because of our minority government, with a large portion of the New Democrats, that we managed to achieve that.

Jagmeet Singh suggests that the NDP will use its balance of power to pass its proposal for public universal drug insurance, and stop subsidies to oil companies.

The NDP leader also wants to urge a minority government to reform the first-past-the-post electoral system for proportional representation, but this will be part of a second wave of party demand. We want to improve the lives of people in their daily lives first. The reform is essential, but not urgentconcludes Jagmeet Singh.

By the end of the campaign, the NDP seems to want to go on the offensive, visiting ridings in Toronto and its suburbs where it hopes to win seats for the Liberals.

The Bloc and the balance of power

Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet knows he will not be Prime Minister of Canada after October 21. But he savored the possibility of a minority government.

According to him, that would give him maximum influence in Ottawa, because it forces the government to discuss and get along with other political parties.

Look at the great gains that Quebec has made thanks to the Bloc Quebecois by Gilles Duceppe: the recognition of the Quebec nation, the partial resolution of the fiscal imbalance, and a seat at UNESCO. It is infinitely more the Bloc Quebecois than Stephen Harper.

It is very useful as a toolhe adds. So people will add that, I guess, to their reflection of the next few days.

The minority and the liberals

For their part, the Liberals have called for a series of outgoing ministers to warn Quebeckers against the Bloc's call. Even former Prime Minister Jean Chretien has come out of retirement to lend a hand.

A strong Bloc limits the possibilities for Liberal electoral growth, suggests Liberal candidate Pablo Rodriguez, who warns that this could have adverse effects for Quebec.

Yes, the Bloc can criticize and opposehe says. But that did not stop the Conservative government from ravaging Quebec culture.

The Bloc had the balance of power in 2008 when the Conservatives were in the minority. The Conservatives have put down the worst cuts in culture, they have gone back to Kyoto, they have stopped investing in (fighting) climate change.

The best way to move forward and say no to austerity is to have Quebeckers in government.

A vote for the Bloc is a vote for the Conservatives, adds Liberal candidate Melanie Joly.

Conservative leader remains confident

Andrew Scheer was in Burnaby, BC on Saturday. A province where many struggles with three are emerging and where the Green Party hopes to win a handful of seats. The province could ultimately decide on the final composition of the government on October 21.

The Conservative leader says to himself confident for the last sprint. <q data-attributes = "{" lang ": {" value ":" fr "," label ":" French "}," value ": {" html ":" On Friday, there were 1,200people at an event. Candidates tell me that there are more volunteers than at the beginning of the campaign. "," Text ":" On Friday, there were 1200persons at an event. Candidates tell me that there are more volunteers than at the beginning of the campaign. "}}" Lang = "en">Friday, there were 1200 people at an event. Candidates tell me that there are more volunteers than at the beginning of the campaign. Andrew Scheer remains cautious in his choice of words.

We are very confident with the proposed plan, convinced that Canadians will give us a mandate.

But he is careful not to specify whether this mandate would be a majority or a minority, contrary to the call for strong Conservative majority government, launched by his predecessor Stephen Harper in 2011.