2015 vs. Today

How does the political opinion environment faced by Justin Trudeau and the Liberals today compare with the one Stephen Harper and the Conservatives faced in 2015?

In the lead-up to the 2015 Canadian federal election, Stephen Harper's Conservative party was making a bid for its third term in office. By the end of that election, the political landscape shifted dramatically as the Liberals, under Justin Trudeau, jumped from third to first place, capturing a majority government.

However, today, the political scene appears to be just as, if not more, challenging for the Liberals as it was for the Conservatives in 2015.

I went into the Abacus Data archives to help make the comparison.

1. Leadership Popularity: It's evident that leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping the outcome of elections. According to recent Abacus polling, Justin Trudeau's popularity is presently at a lower ebb than Stephen Harper's was just prior to the 2015 election. While Harper faced criticisms and fatigue from some quarters of the electorate after nearly a decade in power, Trudeau seems to be battling a more pronounced decline in personal approval.