As Canada approaches its pivotal federal election on April 28, the outcome will hold consequences far beyond its borders.

For a nation that has long punched above its weight in international affairs, the question isn’t merely who will govern, but whether Canada can reclaim its standing as a reliable and fundamentally revamped middle power after a decade of diminished influence and economic underperformance.

This election has effectively become a binary choice between Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre and the unelected Prime Minister Mark Carney of the Liberal Party. Their contrasting backgrounds and visions present Canadians with a stark decision about their country’s direction at a moment when global instability demands clarity of purpose.