Canada snap poll seen as economic power play

The decision by Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney to call an early federal election could be an attempt to maintain Liberal Party support before economic troubles deepen, a political expert says.

"There was always talk of an earlier election call, for a variety of reasons," said Andrea Perrella, an associate professor of political science at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario.

"Carney's overwhelming victory in the leadership campaign, and the apparent comfort that many voters appear to have in him is an asset that may have a fairly short life span."