Canadians appear poised to oust Harper in historic vote

Canadians appear set to end nine years of Stephen Harper's Conservative rule at the ballot box Oct. 19 and elect a Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau.

Polling released Oct. 18 on the eve of the vote showed the Liberals, after a late surge from third place, with a seven-point lead ahead of the Tories.
 
Public opinion, however, has shifted wildly -- up to 12 percentage points -- during the campaign. And many of Canada's 26.4 million registered voters remain undecided.
 
At a final campaign stop in Calgary, Alberta, Trudeau said the Liberals offer "not just a change in government, but a better government."  

The 43-year-old is the son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, who is considered the father of modern Canada.
 
He is hoping for a repeat of the "Trudeaumania" that replaced in 1968 the plodding management style of the old guard with his father's bullish vision and flare that Canadians were craving.
 
But Harper warned Canadians would pay more taxes under a Liberal government that would also plunge the nation back into deficit.
 
"Every single vote for a Conservative candidate is a vote to protect our economy against Liberal... deficits and taxes," he said.
 
New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Thomas Mulcair, meanwhile, recalled scandals of the last Liberal administration.
 
"They may try to fool you by giving the old car a fresh coat of paint. But as we've seen, the Liberal party is just as rusted-out underneath as it was when Canadians kicked them out of office for corruption the last time," Mulcair said.
         
The 11-week campaign, which was one of the longest in Canadian history, gave Canadians unprecedented exposure to the party leaders and their...