Politics This Morning: O’Toole campaign attacks MacKay in new online ads

Good Friday morning, With only a few months to go before the Conservative Party members cast their ballot for their preferred leader, the O'Toole campaign is looking to simplify the choice between him and Peter MacKay, other presumptive front runner, in what's shaping up to be a tight race. In a new pair of ads, Erin O'Toole's campaign sought to attack Mr. MacKay's electability over perceived missteps he made in calling for the leadership race to be accelerated during the pandemic. The attack ad says that Mr. MacKay is likely going to be skewered by the Liberals in the next election for making that push. The MacKay campaign, meanwhile, took a different tack in its social-media ad, featuring the candidate campaigning and touting his efforts to raise funds and sign up new members. Conservative activist Jim Karahalios has been disqualified from the leadership race by the Leadership Election Organizing Committee again, after it appeared he would be given another shot at remaining in the race thanks to a recent Ontario court ruling. LEOC, in a statement, said the judge ultimately left it to the committee "to determine if" his conduct "was such that he should be disqualified as a candidate." The Green Party, which is also in the midst of its own leadership campaign, is likely to postpone its planned October convention in Charlottetown, P.E.I., until next spring over concerns about the coronavirus, said interim leader Jo-Ann Roberts. The province's borders are closed to non-residents, measure that are expected to be in place for the foreseeable future, as it tries to prevent the importation of the virus. Given concerns about multiple waves of the coronavirus until a vaccine is discovered, and is deployed on a mass scale, parties are planning for contingencies. That includes the possibility of holding a virtual convention, or a hybrid model that allows for smaller in-person gatherings across the country. A new Abacus Data poll suggested that the Liberals' lead over the Conservatives has widened to eight points, with 39 per cent of respondents expressing support for the party. It's a marked shift compared to where it was in March, when both parties were "within a point of each other." Canada's UN ambassador Marc-Andre Blanchard made a final pitch to member states for a coveted temporary seat on the Security Council, a vote that's expected to take place in a few weeks. He called attention to Canada's efforts to bring together allies in addressing food-security concerns amid the pandemic, according to Canadian Press. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took another pointed shot at China in an interview with Global News, saying that the regime does not understand that Canada's judicial system is designed to be immune from political interference. The Chinese ambassador has denied that the detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig is tied to Canada's compliance with the U.S. request to extradite Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. In scheduled events, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino is slated to appear before the House Agriculture Committee at 3 p.m., alongside immigration and social development officials. Health Minister Patty Hajdu is filling the 11 a.m. slot at the Government Operations Committee, and she'll be accompanied by departmental officials and chief public health officer Theresa Tam. Over at the Human Resources Committee, which is also scheduled to meet at the same time, witnesses include Tammy Schirle, an economics professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, and David Onley, former lieutenant governor of Ontario. The Indigenous Affairs Committee is meeting at 2 p.m. to hear from several witnesses, including AFN's Chief Ghislain Picard of Quebec and Labrador. The Hill Times

Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: O’Toole campaign attacks MacKay in new online ads

Plus, the Green Party is likely to postpone its planned October convention in Charlottetown, P.E.I., says interim leader Jo-Ann Roberts.

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Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: O’Toole campaign attacks MacKay in new online ads

Plus, the Green Party is likely to postpone its planned October convention in Charlottetown, P.E.I., says interim leader Jo-Ann Roberts.

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