The 2015 Canadian federal election was held on April 15th, 2015 to elect members of the House of Commons of the 42nd Parliament of Canada. The writ for the election was dropped on March 8th by the Governor General on the request of incumbent Conservative Prime Minster Stephen Harper. This was a strategic mode so that Harper could run his campaign on the balanced budget recently passed by the government. The election resulted in Harper's majority being reduced to a minority.