The 2015 Canadian federal election (formally the 42nd Canadian general election) will be held on October 19, 2015 to elect members to the House of Commons of Canada. The 2011 federal election resulted in the continuation of the incumbent Conservative government headed by Stephen Harper, while the New Democratic Party (NDP) became Official Opposition and the Liberal Party became the third party. The Bloc Quebecois won four seats and the Green Party won one seat. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe resigned shortly after failing to win their own ridings. Bob Rae was chosen as interim leader of the Liberal Party.
In July 2011, Jack Layton temporarily stepped down as leader of the NDP, because of cancer, indicating his intention to return to the job for the reconvening of Parliament in September. Weeks later Jack Layton died of cancer and was given a state funeral. In March 2012, Tom Mulcair was elected leader of the New Democratic Party. In April 2013 Justin Trudeau was elected leader of the Liberal Party. Bloc Québécois leader Daniel Paillé stepped down in December 2013 and was eventually replaced in June 2014 by Mario Beaulieu, who in turn was later replaced in June 2015 by Duceppe. In late 2014, MPs Jean-François Larose of the NDP and Jean-François Fortin of the Bloc formed the new political party Strength in Democracy.
As set forth in the Fair Representation Act, the number of seats in the House of Commons to be contested in the 42nd Canadian federal election will be 338, an increase of 30 seats from the 308 seats comprising the House of Commons of Canada of the 41st Parliament of Canada, at its dissolution. Prime Minister Stephen Harper requested writs of election for a federal general election from Governor General David Johnston on August 2. The official proclamations were issued on August 4. The date of the vote is determined by the fixed-date Canada Elections Act.[5] At 11 weeks, the campaign will be the longest in modern Canadian history. As a result of the 2012 federal electoral redistribution, the number of electoral districts was increased to 338, with additional seats based on population assigned to Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
