Canada PM Trudeau planning snap election, seeks approval for COVID response - sources

FILE PHOTO: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks after Mary Simon is sworn in as the first indigenous Governor General during a ceremony in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada July 26, 2021. REUTERS/Patrick Doyle/File Photo

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is planning a snap election for Sept. 20 to seek voter approval for the government's costly plans to combat COVID-19, four sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Trudeau is set to make the announcement on Sunday, said the sources, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation. Trudeau aides have said for months that the ruling Liberals would push for a vote before end-2021, two years ahead of schedule.