6 Hamilton-area residents share what they're watching for, as federal election campaign begins

What matters to Hamiltonians this election?

With the federalelection officially called on Sunday and the countdown to Sept. 20 now underway,CBCHamilton spoke with local residentsto get their thoughts on the timing of the election andwhat mattersmost to them.

From how COVID-19will impact the voting processto concerns over climate change and economic recovery, several issues were top of mind, andsome saidthey're going to be watching this shorter-than-usual campaign closely.

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Interviews have beenedited for length and clarity.

Ahzam Ali, 23,Ancaster:

Q. How do you feel about the election being called now?

"I think it's a great strategy by Justin Trudeau. There are things going on with the other parties where he's capitalizingon them.If he waits until two years later when the election is supposed to happen, then these other parties could have the upper hand."

Q. What issues matter to you this election?

"I think the debt we're in is really important because we've spend so much money in this COVID recovery and how to deal with it going forward. This debt is going to take a toll eventually so I want to see the financial plans that the different parties have."

Q. What will you be watching for in terms of the election process or when it comes do the different parties?

"I think it's a really quick timeline.I think it might cause people not to vote as much because there's COVID going on and it's a short timeline so people may not be able to wrap their mind around their decision so quickly, which I think is not a positive thing."

Susan Kronick, 58, Burlington; Anne Cutler, 82, Westdale:

Q. How do you feel about the election being called now?

Susan:"I'm not happy with it. I think people are more focused on getting out and enjoying some more normal life and right now I think it's really just a ruse by the Liberals to get back in quickly. I think that such quick election is unfair, actually. People are so busy right now thinking about kids getting ready to go back to school. I think it's a silly thing to do."

Anne:"I kind of feel the same way, it's a little early into his term. I'm a fan of Trudeau, however I think I would like him to have a longer chance at this. I agree it's a very emotional time for everybody and I don't think people should have to be concerned about the election now."

Q. What issues matter to you this election?

Susan:"Our debt and the economy. Getting people back on their feet, for those businesses that suffered through the pandemic and to figure out what we're going to do down the road. How are we going to handle any future pandemics?"

Anne:"Healthcare is a priority for me, being a senior. I can also repeat what Susan said, there are so many people out of work and I don't know when we're ever going to be back to normal like we were pre-pandemic and of course the economy, people are suffering terribly."

Q. What will you be watching for in terms of the election process or when it comes do the different parties?

Susan:"I hope they're going to make voting easy and online. I don't want to see people standing and going into polling stations. We have the technology to do it and the federal government can afford to do it and they should be doing it."

Anne:"The polling stations could be dangerous for people who are concerned about COVID."

Jawaria Aijaz, 20,Hamilton Mountain:

Q. How do you feel about the election being called now?

"I think it's a very weird time for it to be called because it's something nobody really expected to happen right now and especially with COVID and everything it's out of the blue. I think no one's prepared for it."

Q. What issues matter to you this election?

"I'm passionate about poverty alleviation.I want to know more about what other people are thinking, their platforms and what it's based around because there's a lot of social justice movements I'm passionate about."

Q. What will you be watching for in terms of the election process or when it comes do the different parties?

I want to see how they're talking about COVID and managing through COVID because there are concerns around the Delta variant. It's really tough to imagine what the election process is going to be like because there hasn't been one, at least in my lifetime, that's been so quick and worrisome because it's out of nowhere."

Laura Kulchyckyj, 58,Hamilton Mountain:

Q. How do you feel about the election being called now?

A."I think it's OK, I just think it's really going to only be a two-week election though, because most people are away and then we've got the debates and then we've got the two weeks after, sort of."

Q. What issues matter to you this election?

A."It would be Indigenous people, definitely climate change, I mean look at the fires in one area and the flooding in another, it's just insane. I think those are really important to me, but also the budget and how we're going to come together as a country. I want to be very proud of Canada."

Q. What will you be watching for in terms of the election process or when it comes do the different parties?

A."I hope people vote for [issues], not what the [party]they always vote for. Go for whoever is doing the best for us as the people."

Matthew Calaycay, 32,Downtown Hamilton:

Q. How do you feel about the election being called now?

"We're still in the middle of trying to figure out if we're in the middle of a fourth wave or not, so I think it's a little too early for that. These announcements came out of the blue and I think everyone's caught offguard."

Q. What issues matter to you this election?

"If they tried to figure out how to resolve COVID-19 and come up with a set of policies that will adjust everyone's view on trying to keep us a little safer. We're still in this pandemic. We're not out of it."

Q. What will you be watching for in terms of the election process or when it comes do the different parties?

"Let's see how they campaign, the way they campaign and what they say. Let's see how the actual election process goes.