{"id":121509,"date":"2021-09-19T09:30:12","date_gmt":"2021-09-19T09:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=121509"},"modified":"2021-09-19T09:30:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-19T09:30:12","slug":"canada-election-in-dead-heat-liberals-drop-candidate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/canada-election-in-dead-heat-liberals-drop-candidate\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada election in dead heat; Liberals drop candidate"},"content":{"rendered":"
HAMILTON, Ontario (Reuters) – Canada\u2019s election is in a dead heat two days before the Sept. 20 vote, according to a new poll on Saturday, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Conservative rival both campaigned in the same seat-rich region to scour up votes.<\/p> The latest Sondage Leger poll conducted for the Journal de Montreal and the National Post newspapers put the Conservatives one percentage point ahead of Trudeau\u2019s Liberals, with 33% over 32%.<\/p>\n The tightness of the race has put the focus on turnout, with low turnout historically favouring the Conservatives. The Leger poll put the third-place left-leaning New Democratic Party at 19%.<\/p>\n Trudeau, 49, called an early election, seeking to convert approval for his government\u2019s handling of the pandemic into a parliamentary majority. But he is now scrambling to save his job, with Canadians questioning the need for an early election amid a fourth pandemic wave.<\/p>\n On Saturday, the Liberals announced they would drop a candidate over a 2019 sexual assault charge that the party said was not disclosed to them. Kevin Vuong, a naval reservist running in an open Liberal seat in downtown Toronto, denied the allegations on Friday, noting the charge was withdrawn.<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Vuong will no longer be a Liberal candidate, and should he be elected, he will not be a member of the Liberal caucus,\u201d the party said in a statement on Saturday.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Liberal member of parliament Raj Saini ended his re-election campaign amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards female staffers.<\/p>\n Both Trudeau and his Conservative rival Erin O\u2019Toole were campaigning around the Toronto region on Saturday.<\/p>\n O\u2019Toole, 48, is slated to appear in a Conservative-held riding west of Toronto that was closely fought during the 2019 election.<\/p>\n The area\u2019s member of Parliament, who is not running again, came under fire last spring for saying COVID-19 lockdowns were the \u201csingle greatest breach of our civil liberties since the internment camps during WW2.\u201d<\/p>\n