Canada’s political landscape is shifting fast and it’s making me rethink my vote.

Justin Trudeau has led a truly disastrous government in many ways. Countless ethical scandals—with the SNC-Lavalin affair being one of the most damning, mismanagement of the economy through a failure to tackle housing and affordability, several policy failures such as the ArriveCan app, and numerous broken promises like the failure to deliver electoral reform are just the tip of the iceberg. The Liberal government has proven to be out of touch with everyday Canadians and unethical to the highest degree. This is why, “I think I’ll be voting for the Liberals” was the last thing I expected to come out of my mouth on February 25. 

On Wednesday, Feb.25, I decided to watch the Liberal Leadership race. Even though I did not intend to vote for the Liberals, I was curious about what the leadership candidates had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised by the end of the debate. Every candidate had something to offer. Karina Gould with ambitious policy tackling affordability issues, Frank Baylis with impressive energy and healthcare improvement ideas, and Chrystia Freeland with the experience and aggression to take on Trump and his tariffs. 

You may notice that I have not listed Mark Carney. Let me be clear, Mark Carney is unambitious, has nonsensical policy ideas, and concerning economic policy for a former banker. He plans to cut taxes, increase spending, and balance the books. It doesn’t take a banker to realize that’s not possible. However, Carney is winning the leadership race—and will do so by a landslide. Despite my distaste for Carney, the current candidate choices are so disappointing that they make Carney look decent. 

Pierre Poilievre platforms the far-right of the Conservative party, lacks plans for Canada, and has built his campaign on negativity, claiming Canada is broken. Jagmeet Singh has proven to lack integrity, has managed to tank the NDP, potentially costing them official party status, and has a clear lack of direction. Carney is far from my first choice, but right now, he’s proving to be the best option. 

Many believed that the Liberal Party was done for after its sharp decline in the polls due to Trudeau. However, after his resignation, the Liberals have been on a steady road to recovery. Last month, the discussion was whether the Conservatives were going to win the largest majority in Canadian history—now we are unsure if they will even form one. The Liberals are on the mend, and it seems to be thanks to Carney. The Liberals are currently projected to win 139 seats, while the Conservatives to win 160 seats. The polls are tightening rapidly.

With Trump in office, Poilievre has struggled to differentiate himself, which has been a huge challenge for the party. As the carbon tax moves to the bottom of the ballot for Canadians and the tariffs move to the top, the Conservatives have watched their entire platform and strategy practically crumble in front of their eyes. Every single week for a month, they’ve watched the Liberals climb in the polls while they fall. With the looming threat of tariffs, the Conservatives are learning that Canadians, in fact, do not like to be told that their country is broken. Who would’ve thought? 

Though Carney is far from my first choice, there’s lots of good in the party. Gould, Baylis, and Freeland all have something to offer and seeing them in cabinet would be good news for Canada. After the tumultuous few years Trudeau led the Liberals through, a quiet candidate like Carney who keeps them out of the headlines may not be the worst thing for the Liberals. Carney leading the party while bringing Gould, Baylis, and Freeland to the front may be an ideal position for the Liberals and, for the country. 

I walked away from the debate with one feeling: faith. That debate introduced faith in the Liberal Party that I had never felt before. Strong candidates with unique strengths and strong policy ideas are the reason why I will be voting for the Liberals in the upcoming federal election. 

Let’s just hope, for Canada’s sake, that it’s different this time around.