The federal election campaign is expected to kick off today. Here's what you need to know

The array is acceptable for a consequential and adjacent national predetermination this spring, which is mostly expected to absorption connected however the leaders volition instrumentality connected U.S. President Donald Trump's commercialized warfare and his taunting of Canadian sovereignty. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to inquire Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament today, triggering a weeks-long election campaign.

Sources person confirmed to CBC News that predetermination time volition beryllium Monday, April 28.

Just a fewer months ago, polls suggested Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was destined for a bulk government. But the governmental scenery has been turned upside down since erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau announced his resignation and Carney replaced him.

WATCH | Will Carney's predetermination telephone gamble wage off?: 

Now, for the archetypal clip successful astir 3 years, the Liberals person inched up successful the polls arsenic enactment for the Conservatives and NDP slips, according to the CBC's Poll Tracker, which aggregates nationalist sentiment polling.

It shows the Liberals would person a astir three-in-four accidental of winning the astir seats if an predetermination were held now. As of Sunday, they pb successful Atlantic Canada, Quebec and person edged up successful Ontario, polls suggest.

The Conservatives are nipping astatine their heels though.

Poilievre's enactment enjoys wide leads successful Alberta and the Prairies and are inactive up of the Liberals successful British Columbia, according to the tracker.

The Liberals' surge comes arsenic the NDP's popularity has fallen to its lowest level successful decades and is astatine hazard of losing enactment status. Recent polling suggests the Bloc Québécois is astatine hazard of losing seats successful Quebec, the 1 state wherever they tally candidates, according to the Poll Tracker.

Trump's tariffs casting shadow 

The priorities of a national run person besides shifted since the re-election of Trump and the economical instability his instrumentality to the White House has caused.

The president escalated his commercialized warfare by imposing 25 per cent tariffs connected each alloy and aluminum entering the country, prompting Canada to efficaciously treble its retaliatory tariffs connected U.S. goods. 

Trump's adjacent salvo is expected successful the 2nd week of the campaign, with the U.S. threatening different circular of tariffs connected April 2. 

The parties person already been successful run mode for months, but Sunday's telephone sends them into overdrive arsenic the 2 main leaders vie to specify themselves arsenic the champion idiosyncratic to woody with the unpredictable president. 

During a halt successful Sudbury, Ont., past week, Poilievre positioned himself arsenic a "tough guy" good suited to instrumentality connected Trump.

"What Canadians request is simply a person who's tough, steadfast and stands by his convictions, a person who volition marque america strong, self-reliant and capable to basal connected its ain 2 feet, a person who volition enactment Canada first," helium said. 

The Liberals are trying to overgarment Poilievre arsenic Trump-lite.

In his triumph code aft winning the party's leadership, Carney said Poilievre would permission Canada "divided and acceptable to beryllium conquered."

"A idiosyncratic who worships astatine the altar of Donald Trump volition kneel earlier him, not basal up to him," helium said successful 1 of his astir vicious attacks against the Opposition leader. 

WATCH | Party leaders involvement retired positions up of Sunday predetermination call: 

Carney, who does not clasp a spot successful the House, is seeking a mandate from Canadians aft winning the Liberal enactment 2 weeks ago. Sources told CBC News connected Saturday helium volition tally for a spot successful the Ottawa riding of Nepean. Nepean is adjacent to Carleton, which is Poilievre's riding.

As the erstwhile politician of the Bank of Canada during the planetary fiscal situation and caput of the Bank of England during the Brexit years, his run volition apt interaction connected his inheritance steering large economies during turbulent times.

But Carney, who has been premier curate for conscionable implicit a week, is mostly untested arsenic a politician. 

WATCH | Poilievre fires backmost astatine Trump: 'I'm a pugnacious feline to woody with': 

Poilievre, who has served arsenic an Ottawa MP since 2004 and won the enactment successful 2022, has been waiting for this infinitesimal for years.

In his ain words he can travel disconnected arsenic excessively blunt, and he's pitched himself arsenic a person to hole a "broken" Canada — accusing the Liberals of starring the state down a road of "chaos" and crime.

During Trudeau's last years, Poilievre was keen for what helium called a c taxation predetermination and promised to dump the arguable biology argumentation for consumers.

Carney has mostly removed that constituent of onslaught erstwhile helium signed a premier ministerial directive instructing that the substance complaint beryllium removed effectual April 1 for consumers. But Poilievre continues to impeach Carney of trying to "hide" the tax. The terms for large concern emitters remains successful place.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh volition beryllium looking to pull progressive voters arsenic Carney's Liberals determination to the centre, but truthful acold the polls suggest that isn't baring out.

The leader, however, is remaining positive.

"This is simply a precise important election, and I cognize that Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre would privation thing amended than for the NDP to disappear," Singh said.

"We're not going anywhere."

This volition beryllium Singh's 3rd predetermination arsenic leader.

Conservatives breaking with media tradition 

During this campaign, Canadians tin expect to spot little of longtime Green Party MP and co-leader Elizabeth May.

The enactment says co-leader Jonathan Pedneault, who doesn't person a seat, volition beryllium the look of the party's nationalist predetermination campaign, including astatine the debates.

According to the Poll Tracker, the Greens are polling astir 3.6 per cent, up of the People's Party of Canada which has conscionable implicit 2 per cent of support.

With the commencement of the run conscionable hours away, political reporters are preparing to hop connected buses and planes to travel the main campaigns implicit the coming weeks — with an exception. 

Last week, the Conservatives announced a program to artifact governmental reporters and different journalists from travelling with the party's campaign, a interruption from tradition.

Poilievre defends the determination arguing his run volition person "open media entree crossed the country" and it volition beryllium "refreshing" to perceive from reporters who aren't assigned to screen him connected a regular basis. 

The Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois person told media outlets they volition let journalists to question with their leaders.

You tin ticker CBC News peculiar sum of the national predetermination telephone starting with Rosemary Barton Live at 10 a.m. EST connected CBCNews.ca, CBC Gem, the CBC News app, YouTube and TikTok. You tin besides watercourse the peculiar connected your section CBC streaming transmission connected a astute TV.