Canada election campaign begins

The campaign for Canada’s federal election is underway, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper campaigning for a fourth consecutive term

Stephen Harper (56)

KEY DATES IN HARPER’S YEARS IN POWER

Jan 2006: Harper’s Conservative Party wins national elections with 124 out of 308 seats 

Oct 2008: Conservatives re-elected, again without majority

Dec 2009: Canada faces harsh criticism for refusing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Feb 2010: Vancouver hosts Winter Olympics, boosting Canada’s profile on world stage

Jun: G8 and G20 summits in Toronto, marred by days of sometimes violent street protests

May 2011: Conservatives re-elected with 166 seats – third consecutive term in power

Jul: Canada becomes first NATO member to wind down its military mission in Afghanistan

Dec: Canada withdraws from Kyoto Protocol, after signing emissions-reducing pact in 1997

Mar 2012: Austerity budget ditches one cent coin and cuts 19,000 civil servant jobs

Jul 2013: Massive train explosion in Quebec kills 47 people

Oct 20, 2014: Jihadist shoots two soldiers near Montreal in first extremist attack on Canadian soil

Oct 22: Lone gunman kills ceremonial guard in Ottawa and storms parliament before being killed

Jul: Central bank says country is officially in recession

Jun 2015: Anti-terror law dramatically expands powers and reach of Canada’s spy agency

Nov: Canada joins U.S.-led coalition in airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq 
Aug 2: Harper dissolves parliament, calls general election for October 19

OPPOSITION

Tom Mulcair New Democratic Party: Poll leader Mulcair (66) took over as party leader in 2011. Would be first NDP prime minister

Justin Trudeau Liberal Party: Trudeau (43), son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, became Liberal leader in 2013



Source: Wire agencies
Picture: Getty Images