Trudeau starts campaign blitz as new poll suggests Canadians want change

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Justin Trudeau has launched a two-day, six-province campaign blitz to mobilize his supporters ahead of election day, as a new poll suggests a growing number of Canadians feel that it's the right time to change government.

The Liberal Leader urged his supporters to ensure that "no voter is left behind" as part of the ground game on Monday, arguing their Conservative rivals cannot be trusted to play fair on Oct. 19.

"This is going to be a very close election, and as we all know, [Conservative Leader Stephen] Harper still has tricks up his sleeve," Mr. Trudeau said at a rally with his New Brunswick candidates in Saint John. "Be sure to vote Monday, help us defeat Stephen Harper."

A new Globe and Mail/CTV/Nanos Research poll has found that the proportion of Canadians who thinks it is "time for a change" has risen to 71 per cent, up five points since July. The election was called on Aug. 2. (Read the poll here)

According to the poll, 31 per cent of Canadians trust Mr. Trudeau to manage the economy, which is up 13 points since July. During the same time period, Mr. Harper has lost two points, down to 29 percent, while NDP Leader Tom Mulcair is trusted by 22 percent of respondents to run the economy, down nine points since July.

The Nanos Survey conducted for The Globe and CTV is based on a telephone and online random survey of 1,000 Canadians, conducted between October 15th and 16th, 2015. The margin of error is 3.1 percent, 19 times out of 20.

On Saturday, the Liberal campaign made stops in Halifax, Saint John, Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. It will finish the tour on Sunday with events in Edmonton and Calgary, before going to Surrey, B.C. and Vancouver.

The Liberal campaign is hoping to recoup the momentum that it lost following the mid-week resignation of its co-chair, Dan Gagnier, who was a top adviser to Mr. Trudeau at the same time he sent a memo to TransCanada Corp. on the best way to deal with the next government.

The Conservatives and New Democrats have said the episode is proof that the Liberals have not learned from past scandals and cannot be trusted to govern the country.

At a rally in Halifax on Saturday morning, protesters briefly disrupted Mr. Trudeau's speech by shouting and holding up signs, including one that said, "Liberals in bed with TransCanada."

Still, the episode seemed to pump up the crowd of more than 1,000 supporters, who launched into chants of "Justin" to drown out the protest.

The Liberals said they are trying to capitalize on the overall feeling among Canadians that Mr. Harper has outlived his time in power. Asked to explain what he meant by the tricks that the Conservative could have in store, Mr. Trudeau said that changes to the Fair Elections Act have made it more difficult for many groups of Canadians to exercise their democratic rights.

"We all know, for 10 years now, how Mr. Harper is willing to do anything to try and stay in power, and that is why I'm asking Canadians to vote to help us defeat Stephen Harper," Mr. Trudeau said in Halifax.

The polls are looking good for the Liberals with two days left of campaigning on the road, before the election turns into an organizational battle to "get out the vote" on Monday. Mr. Trudeau made it clear earlier this week that he hopes to win a majority government, but he is urging his supporters to continue to work hard.

At a news conference, he said his first international phone call, if he becomes prime minister, would go to American President Barack Obama. The Liberals have also pledged to offer a tax cut to most workers – and a tax hike for Canadians who make more than $200,000 annually – with their first piece of legislation.

Still, Mr. Trudeau is reluctant to offer many details on his plans in office, arguing that the Liberal Party has learned not to be arrogant under his leadership.

"We're not taking anything for granted," he said. "We're not looking beyond Monday, when the polls close."