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Polls Show Trudeau Leading PM Candidate as Canadians Vote


Liberal leader Justin Trudeau reacts during a campaign rally in North Vancouver, British Columbia, October 18, 2015.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau reacts during a campaign rally in North Vancouver, British Columbia, October 18, 2015.

Canadians are voting for parliament Monday in elections that could halt Prime Minister Stephen Harper's bid for a fourth term and instead install Justin Trudeau, the son of the country's former charismatic leader.

Polls released Sunday showed Trudeau's Liberal party leading Harper's Conservatives by a margin of 38 percent to 31 percent, with the New Democrats at 21 percent.

Trudeau has promised a change from nine years of Harper's rule, including a boost of billions of dollars in infrastructure spending and improving relations with the United States. But Trudeau's opponents have cast him as inexperienced and not ready for the job. He was elected to parliament in 2008, two years after Harper became prime minister.

Trudeau's father, Pierre, retired from politics in 1984 after serving as prime minister for most of the previous 16 years. He was known for fighting for unity in Canada and making French an official language in the country, as well as introducing a new constitution.

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