What role could premiers play in next election Poll yes By Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press on July 11, 2021. OTTAWA – Few would disagree that living through a global pandemic for the past 16 months has been draining. That no doubt includes the country’s premiers, who were repeatedly forced to make tough calls on closing schools and shuttering large swaths of the economy to curb the spread of COVID-19 and preserve hospital capacity in their provinces and territories. So with speculation simmering that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may trigger an election before long, how much fight do those who usually have a bone to pick with Ottawa have left?