Conservative hopes of returning to power in Canada appear to be fading a week before its election, with polls showing voters view the Liberals as a stronger counter to Donald Trump.
The American president's trade war, which threatens tens of thousands of Canadian jobs, and his talk of making the US' northern neighbor the 51st state have upended a race the Tories once appeared likely to win.
Liberal leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney, who replaced the unpopular Justin Trudeau last month, has argued his experience leading the central banks of two G7 economies -- Canada and Britain -- makes him the ideal candidate to steer the country through a Trump-induced economic storm.
There are also signs the campaign ahead of the April 28 vote has galvanized voter interest.
Televised debates last week scored higher ratings than in previous votes, while nearly two million people cast ballots on the first day of early voting Friday -- a record number according to Elections Canada.
After voting in Montreal, Christine Bonenfant told AFP she had backed the party that, in her view, "will do the best against Donald Trump," and restore "calm."
The retiree voiced hope turnout would be high in the "important" election.
Voter Josee Fournier said "Canada has a Sword of Damocles hanging over its head because of the situation with our southern neighbor."
- Transformed race -
Five parties hold seats in Canada's outgoing parliament but polls indicate this election is being disproportionately dominated by the Liberals and Conservatives.
The left-wing New Democrats (NDP), the Quebec separatist Bloc Quebecois and particularly the Green Party have struggled to gain traction in a race dominated by the challenge of dealing with Canada's newly hostile superpower neighbor.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre had built broad support as a withering Trudeau critic.
But Trudeau's departure combined with Trump's threats and Carney's resume have left the Tory leader vulnerable.
Polls consistently show voters believe 60-year-old Carney is best suited to steer Canada through a trade war with the United States.
On January 6, the day Trudeau said he would resign, the Liberals trailed the Conservatives by 24 points, according to the public broadcaster CBC's poll aggregator.
By Sunday, the CBC data put Liberal support at 43.3 percent with Tories at 38.4 -- a sign of how the Carney-for-Trudeau swap had transformed the race.
But the margins remain close and the race could still tilt towards the Conservatives.
- 'Tragedy, reality' -
Carney has argued his international experience as a central banker and in the private sector can help him realign Canada's trading relationships to curb reliance on the United States.
Campaigning this week at Niagara Falls on the US border, Carney said Trump had brought "chaos...into our lives."
"It's a tragedy, but also a reality. The key question in this election is who is best placed to oppose President Trump," he said.
University of Winnipeg political scientist Felix Mathieu told AFP Carney appears to have succeeded in shifting voter focus away from the animosity felt for the Liberal Party in Trudeau's later years.
Carney has won over some voters, "who were ready to vote Conservative," he said.
Carney delivered a less polished performance at the debates compared to Poilievre, a seasoned politician.
But the prime minister gave the impression of "being above the fray," said Mathieu.
- Change? -
Poilievre, 45, has served in parliament for two decades and has established a reputation as effective partisan combatant.
But surveys indicate some voters view his style as too reminiscent of Trump, a significant liability in a campaign where the need for national unity to counter US hostility has become a dominant theme.
Poilievre has pivoted in response to a changed race, forcefully criticizing Trump while arguing that weak economic performance through Trudeau's decade in power had left Canada vulnerable to US protectionism.
"This election is about change. After the lost Liberal decade of rising costs and crime and a falling economy, the Liberals do not deserve a fourth term in power," Poilievre said Friday.
"We need a change with a new Conservative government."