Stories by Abbas Rana
Ford’s cuts in social programs could be opening for federal Liberals to campaign against federal Conservatives in October, say Liberal MPs
Conservative MP David Tilson says it’s too early to jump to any conclusion about the impact of the Ford government’s policies on the next federal election outcome.
The Liberals will be under attack from all sides in the next election campaign, but Liberals say they have a good story to tell and some say they need to sharpen up their communications strategy before it's too late.
Liberals will face headwinds in the October election, but not possible to make any predictions five months ahead of the election, says six-term Liberal MP Mark Eyking.
A number of Hill staffers will transition to the campaign team after the parliamentary session ends next month, says Braeden Caley, the Liberal Party’s senior director of communications.
'It’s never over until it’s over,’ but Liberal strategists should be ‘very concerned’ the general polling trends do not favour the governing Liberals, says Shachi Kurl, executive director of the Angus Reid Institute.Expect ‘ugly’ and ‘intense’ election campaign in the fall, fuelled by anger, say Liberal and NDP MPs
Liberal and NDP MPs predict the next election campaign to be particularly nasty, but Conservative MP Peter Kent says every election campaign is nasty. 
Liberal and Conservative MPs vehemently deny their parties are playing politics with the racism issue.
The Conservative Party’s executive director Dustin Van Vugt informed the riding association late last week that Harzadan Khattra has been removed as the candidate in Dufferin-Caledon.Author
Liberal Party headquarters is still undecided on whether former PMO principal secretary Gerald Butts, a key architect of the 2015 election win, will have any role in the October federal election.
Former Ontario Liberal MPP Kevin Flynn and University of Toronto law professor Anita Anand are seeking the Liberal nomination in Oakville, Ont.
Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott say they have no endgame, but some observers say they risk their reputations by continuing to find points of disagreement with Justin Trudeau, the government, and the Liberal Party.
But the Trudeau government’s motivation to help out SNC-Lavalin is to protect jobs, not any strategy for the federal election, says Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux.
'The biggest problem they’ve got is that they’re really getting hurt in places where they need to win to make up seats where they were probably going to lose,' says Darrell Bricker. 
'I would be worried, if I was a Liberal, anywhere in B.C.,’ says pollster Greg Lyle of Innovative Research
'They’re putting me out of work,' said one Liberal MP of the two former Liberal ministers.
Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith described the opposition parties' motion as ‘premature,’ as the Justice Committee is still awaiting a written submission and documents from ex-minister Jody Wilson-Raybould.
Corneliu Chisu says he left the party because he believes the Conservative Party headquarters had been delaying the nomination contest to find a different candidate.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been hounded by the SNC-Lavalin scandal since The Globe broke the story on Feb. 7. He needs his Liberal caucus now more than ever. 
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will informally consult MPs, former parliamentarians, and experts from a wide range of backgrounds on his caucus and cabinet management style, says a PMO official.
Meanwhile, former Liberal MP Mary Clancy says the SNC-Lavalin controversy is a ‘bump in the road’ and said Liberal MPs have full confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership.
All Liberal MPs, including Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott, should air their concerns and misgivings inside the caucus, not outside, as it’s damaging the party, says Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux.
The PMO wouldn’t ‘dare’ to tell the attorney general to drop the case, says lawyer Michel Drapeau.
The Liberal Party has sought to project itself as a big-tent party that embodies Canada and its values, but this issue, with its many layers, underscores the risks of overpromising, says political scientist Alex Marland.
Denying any wrongdoing could blow up in the prime minister's face if new allegations arise. Mr. Trudeau should admit falling short on ethics, so he can start running on his record, say insiders and observers.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is torn between the options of keeping Jody Wilson-Raybould in the caucus or kicking her out, say Liberal MPs, former senior Liberals and political insiders.
'I just want the truth to come out’ on the SNC-Lavalin controversy, says Liberal MP Wayne Long.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to offer an ‘alternative narrative’ on the SNC-Lavalin affair, backed up by fact and details, to take back control of the narrative, political watchers say. 
Jody Wilson-Raybould’s version of events will determine if this is a ‘major, minor or no issue’ for the Liberals in the next election, says pollster Nik Nanos.
The SNC-Lavalin affair is yet another example of self-inflicted wounds for the Justin Trudeau Liberals, says pollster Nik Nanos of Nanos Research
The non-denial by former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould is a 'major problem for the government,' says Tim Powers. 
Liberal MP Rodger Cuzner and PMO deny speculation that Trudeau's principal secretary, Gerald Butts, has any plans to run for the Liberals in the federal Nova Scotia riding of Cape Breton-Canso.
The Liberals are heading into the next election with some members of the base upset that the party hasn't recognized their efforts, while it has given special treatment to a few organizers with friends in the PMO.Politics This Morning
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