On 31 July CBC reported that Trudeau opposed Stephen Harper’s change in election rules, saying they were being changed to give the Conservatives an advantage.  On the same day the NDP said Thomas Mulcair wouldn’t attend the consortium debate unless Harper was there.  Today the English debate on October 8 will include Justin Trudeau and Elizabeth May.  The French debate on October 7 will include Trudeau, May and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe.

Of today’s 304 seats in Parliament, 159 are held by the Conservatives, 95 by the NDP.  The Liberals hold 36 seats, just under one-third of the seats of opposition NDP, less than a quarter of majority Conservatives.  Bloc Québecois and Green Party each hold 2 seats.  Another Québec based party (Forces et Démocratie) holds 2 seats.  8 MPs sit as independents, 4 vacant.  30 new seats have been added Parliament.  The 2015 election will be a battle for 334 seats.

It has begun.  Visit Nova’s Rays for updates and analysis about the 2015 Federal Election.