After Trudeau's resignation, some Islanders ready to go to the polls sooner rather than later
Indicators point to May federal election
Elections Canada says it is always preparing for a possible election.
Good thing, because all indications are that one will happen sooner rather than later.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to prorogue Parliament until March 24 while the Liberal Party chooses a new leader has set the stage for a May election — five months before the mandated scheduled election.
That's fine with some Islanders.
"Ideally it's sooner than later," said Patrick Bourgeois in Charlottetown on Tuesday. "Canadians have been calling for an election for, I'd say, years now."
Bourgeois said politics will be interesting over the next few months.
"I think all Canadian citizens right now are wondering what's going on and who our leadership is, who our representative is for leadership and who is going to be helping us through this winter."
Connie MacAleer said a spring election is important to have a stable government in place as soon as possible, especially with tariff threats coming from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, whose inauguration is Jan. 20.
"I think it's a good idea," she said. "It has to be sometime this year anyway."
In an email to CBC News, Elections Canada said its returning officers make sure polling stations can be secured quickly and smoothly, essential material such as paper, pens and computers are on hand and post-secondary institutions are engaged.
Charlottetown Liberal MP Sean Casey said it's "almost cut and dried" that the election will be in May, given that the government is expected to fall on a non-confidence vote around the first week of April.
He said he's already prepared.
"If the election was called next week, I'd be ready," he said. "As for the party, there's still some work to do, but when you consider that the start of the campaign is in early April, there's ample time for that to happen."
Lynne Thiele, the NDP candidate in Cardigan, said her party is gearing up for an early election.
"No one is ever as ready as they want to be, and certainly we can never have the funding and big corporate bank accounts behind us but, yeah, we're ready," she said.
"We know what we want to say. We know the principles and we know our beliefs and I know I believe in all of it."
CBC News asked to interview Jamie Fox, the Conservative candidate for Malpeque.
At first Fox agreed, but said he'd need to clear the interview request with party communications. Then, Fox said he was declining the request.
With files from Connor Lamont