Canada's Trudeau kicks off tough re-election campaign

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked off a six-week re-election campaign on Wednesday.

The 47-year-old will visit the Ottawa residence of Governor General Julie Payette, the acting head of state, to formally launch the race at 1400 GMT.

Despite winning global attention for his progressive policies, opinion polls suggest Trudeau's hold on power will be weakened by scandals at home.

A Nanos Research poll released on Tuesday showed the Liberals at 34.6 per cent and the main opposition Conservatives, led by Andrew Scheer, at 30.7 per cent.

However, that margin would not be enough to guarantee a majority of seats in the House of Commons.