It's a contentious election season. An incumbent conservative-led government is trying to at least maintain if not increase its influence, facing a challenge from the left that warns that if right-wing policies carry the today, the country will drift away from its best values.

We're talking, of course, about Canada.

That's where the conservative party of Prime Minister Stephen Harper hopes to parlay its minority status in Parliament to a majority, and has set up an early election over the strong objections of its opponents.

Canadians were set to go to the polls in October of next year, but will cast ballots October 14th of this year instead.

Jeff Ayres is the Chairman of the Political Science Department at St. Michael's College, and visited our VPR studios to tell us why Stephen Harper insisted on holding the election a year ahead of schedule.

Click listen to hear the entire interview.