Liberals ahead in Canada polls

Canadians began voting in general elections yesterday, with polls showing Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party positioned to end nine years of Stephen Harper's Tory rule.

Polling released on the eve of the vote showed the Liberals leading the Tories by eight points, after a late surge from third place.

Public opinion, however, has swung wildly -- up to 12 percentage points -- during the campaign.

At a final campaign stop in western Canada on Sunday, Trudeau said the Liberals offer "not just a change in government, but a better government."

The 43-year-old is the son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, who is considered the father of modern Canada.

He is hoping for a repeat of the "Trudeaumania" that in 1968 replaced the plodding management style of the old guard with his late father's bullish vision and flare that Canadians were craving.

But Harper warned Canadians would pay more taxes under a Liberal government that would also plunge the nation back into deficit.