Elections Canada is quietly stocking up for the next federal campaign, placing orders for 700,000 poll tally sheets and thousands of other voting-day supplies even as cabinet insists it has no plans to send Canadians back to the polls.According to Blacklock's Reporter, the agency recently notified contractors it needs 18,000 voter screens, poll bags and 25,000 wheelchair‑parking signs, among other materials. It also began appointing returning officers in 343 ridings on January 21, a routine step but one that often fuels talk of an approaching writ.Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon dismissed any suggestion the Liberals are preparing for a 2026 vote. He told reporters on January 26 that Canadians “were very clear in the last election” and said the government intends to keep Parliament functioning.Asked whether the so‑called “Carney Plan” hinted at a campaign message, MacKinnon replied he had “no idea,” adding he was not the one who developed the slogan. When pressed on whether an early election was part of the plan, he repeated that the current Parliament can continue its work.“There is no reason for that,” he said. “We were elected in April with a strong mandate.” Reporters asked again whether cabinet had considered a snap election. “No, as I just said,” MacKinnon responded..He argued Canadians are focused on affordability, job security and community safety. “In this time of crisis, this is the leadership that Canadians asked for when they elected a new government last April,” he said. “They are turning to their parliamentarians to show leadership.”A second election in two years would be the first back‑to‑back national vote since 1962–63. Bloc Québécois MPs say they are ready if it happens.“People here are getting worked up,” Bloc MP Jean‑Denis Garon told the Commons last week, noting rising tensions between Liberal and Conservative MPs.Garon suggested cabinet’s January 26 announcement of a $13.8‑billion increase in GST credits looked like a pre‑campaign giveaway. “We are familiar with these one‑off cheques,” he said, pointing to the $500 payment to seniors before the 2021 election and what he called “fake carbon rebate cheques” in 2025.He said he asked the finance minister whether election signs would be ready when the new cheques go out in June. “He assures me that is not the case,” Garon said. “I hope we can believe him.”
