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Trudeau fans drowned out by furious protesters as leader's election gamble leaves country divided

Demonstrators cheer after it's announced that an outdoor rally planned for Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, is cancelled, in Bolton, Ontario, Canada - Bloomberg
Demonstrators cheer after it's announced that an outdoor rally planned for Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, is cancelled, in Bolton, Ontario, Canada - Bloomberg

As the Canadian prime minister stepped off his campaign bus at the University of Windsor’s campus, the feeble chants of "Trudeau, Trudeau" from his red-clad supporters were quickly drowned out by an angry crowd of anti-vaccine protesters.

“Get out of Windsor, you f---ing traitor,” one woman shouted into her megaphone. Behind her, a man drove by in a white truck with ‘f--- Trudeau’ scrawled across it.

It was as clear an illustration as any of the bitter divisions the election campaign here has exposed.

When he called the snap election last month, Justin Trudeau hoped that his double-digit lead in the polls would regain him the majority he lost in 2019.

Instead, Canadians have responded with frustration. Many have questioned whether a C$610m election was necessary when the country is facing a fourth wave of Covid-19 cases and soaring national debt.

As he made his last dash across Ontario before Monday's election, Mr Trudeau’s final pitch was to the undecided progressive voters who hold his fate in their hands.

“The only progressive choice to get the big things done in government is the Liberal Party of Canada,” the Canadian prime minister told supporters in Windsor, a manufacturing town across the river from Detroit.

Canada's Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves during his election campaign tour in Nobleton, Ontario, Canada - REUTERS
Canada's Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves during his election campaign tour in Nobleton, Ontario, Canada - REUTERS

Mr Trudeau’s Liberal Party is hoping to see off strong support for both the Conservative Party and the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) to win back seats in the battleground region.

His opponents have sought to paint the race as a cynical power grab by an egotistical premier.

“He's always looking out for number one," said Erin O’Toole, his main rival and the Conservative Party leader.

Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the NDP, also called the premier “selfish”.

The 49-year-old has struggled to counter that narrative and offer a compelling reason for bringing Canadians to the ballot box two years early.

The result has been a steep drop in the polls. With his political future now hanging in the balance, Mr Trudeau has been forced to defend his six-year record.

His premiership began in 2015 with a promise of “sunny ways”, when he pulled off a stunning election win to secure a majority government.

But after two terms in power, the shine has come off. His high-profile pledges to champion human rights, tackle climate change and social inequalities have yielded little and left many disappointed.

Some of Mr Trudeau’s biggest critics are his own former MPs. They include his former attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, who accused Mr Trudeau of pressuring her to drop a criminal prosecution into engineering company SNC-Lavalin .

The scandal was resurrected this week with the release of Ms Wilson-Raybould's bombshell memoir and its scathing critique of Mr Trudeau’s character.

Protesters against Justin Trudeau and against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination - Carlos Osorio/REUTERS
Protesters against Justin Trudeau and against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination - Carlos Osorio/REUTERS

To add to Mr Trudeau's woes, his campaign has appeared unprepared for the election he called.

By contrast Mr O'Toole, elected to lead the Conservatives just last year and until recently an unknown quantity to Canadians, has been praised as a disciplined and intelligent campaigner.

"I think they've done as close to a flawless campaign as they can run, having been involved in a number of campaigns," said Ken Boessenkool, a senior adviser on Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper's campaigns. "The question now is, can he seal the deal?"

The two leaders' parties are now tied in the polls. However Mr Trudeau's backers warn against underestimating him, describing him as at his best when he is under pressure and a "heck of a campaigner".

Political commentators also note that the Liberals' strong support in the suburbs and cities hold more value under Canada's parliamentary system than Mr O'Toole's support in the rural Conservative heartlands.

Data analysts say the level of turnout, always unpredictable in a pandemic, will determine the final result.

"Interest in this campaign is lower than it's been in the last two elections," said David Coletto, from leading Canadian polling company Abacus Data.

"I think in part because while Liberal supporters don't want a Conservative government, they're still annoyed at the Prime Minister for calling this election in the first place. Whereas Conservative supporters just really don't like Trudeau, and that dislike motivates them."

Mr Trudeau has sought to capitalise on the “anti-vaxxer mobs”, making his vaccine mandates a wedge issue, but the standoffs between opposing protesters have turned the election into an ugly and divisive debate.

Mr Trudeau made a rare acknowledgement that his pandemic election had been unpopular with the country as he urged voters to put their feelings aside during his campaign stop in Windsor on Friday.

"I understand the frustration that some people are feeling. They just want things to get back to normal and an election isn't getting back to normal," he said.

"It's a time of choice," he said, "And on Monday, we have a choice to be there for each other once again."

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Soccer World during his election campaign tour in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - Carlos Osorio/REUTERS
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Soccer World during his election campaign tour in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - Carlos Osorio/REUTERS

As he made his appeal from the roof of a university building, the expletive-laden chants of protesters could be heard on the street below.

Across the road from the demonstrations, Mary Fletcher, a 54-year-old retired teacher, conceded that it was "a difficult time to have an election", but said she still believed in Mr Trudeau's "viewpoint".

Ms Fletcher, who said she was first struck by him when she watched him deliver a eulogy for his father, the former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, added: "I like the stability that he brings, the calmness that he brings."

Ashton Curtis, a 19-year-old student, confessed he had merely come along in the hope of getting a picture with the photogenic prime minister.

"As my first time voting, I think it’s really up in the air," he said, although he had been impressed by Mr Trudeau's visit.

He added: "I would like to believe that during an election we come together but during this pandemic it has shown Canadians' true colours."

Canadians are now bracing for the possibility of more division and uncertainty if neither the Liberals or the Conservatives are able to secure a majority of the 338 seats in parliament.