GTA to be hotly contested in election, ‘decides whether governments are minorities or majorities’
Political strategists, professors, and candidates agree that voters in the Greater Toronto Area will play a critical role in deciding who will form the next government, with one pollster saying the recent blackface controversy enveloping Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could potentially suppress the Liberal Party’s vote in the upcoming election and lose them some crucial ridings. […]
Election direction: front-runners are shying away from bold ideas, harsh realities
OTTAWA—We’re a week into campaign season and we know one thing for sure: we’re not supposed to talk about some of the most glaring issues that influence the future course of this country. Election 43 has already been heralded as the ‘election about nothing,’ but why is anyone surprised? The penchant we have in Canadian […]
The nasty primal subtext of Liberal attacks
OAKVILLE, ONT.—When trying to gauge the true power and intent of a political communication strategy, sometimes you need to look past the words which are spoken and focus instead on the message’s subtext. Consider, for instance, the recent spate of Liberal attacks on Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer, attacks in which Scheer is painted as […]
What’s Andrew Scheer’s vision for Canada?
OTTAWA—“Canadians are struggling at a time when our economy is supposedly doing well,” the federal party leader said, “and people I meet across the country have a lot of questions as to why their government hasn’t been able to help them through these difficult times.” That was Justin Trudeau in 2013 talking about the difficulty […]
The audacity of the inclusivity trope
OTTAWA—A week after the Liberals were caught with their proverbial hands in the cookie jar of yet another ethics violation, they dropped a new mixtape, Antebellum Andy. Apparently, somewhere in the recesses of 2005, Andrew Scheer, stood up in Parliament and debated LGBTQ2+ rights, rife with some sort of bizarre comparison of gay people to […]
Liberal agitation on social issues predictable, but still exposed Scheer’s vulnerabilities
OTTAWA—While the official election call still looms, there is no doubt we are in the throes of political warfare. Witness last week’s battle lines, as the Liberals launched a capable offensive on Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s position on key social issues. Since the days of Stockwell Day and the Canadian Alliance, a predictable, expected Liberal […]
Slogans can evoke parties’ contrasting visions, but few capture public imagination, observers say
Memorable campaign slogans may be a rarity in politics, but if effectively deployed, they can signal a party’s values and draw a stark contrast with its main opposition, political observers say. The Liberals and Conservatives recently debuted their campaign slogans, each with an accompanying video. The governing party chose “Choose Forward,” while the official opposition […]
Calgary Forest Lawn Conservatives elect Jasraj Hallan to succeed late MP Deepak Obhrai for the upcoming federal election
With the election call only days away, the federal Conservatives elected Jasraj Hallan as their candidate in the coveted riding of Calgary Forest Lawn, which opened up unexpectedly last month after the death of Deepak Obhrai, the party’s nominated candidate to run for what would have been his eighth successive term as an MP. The […]
Air Singh: NDP offering spot on campaign plane for a day
If you ever wanted to live life as a NDP staffer for a day and fly on the party’s campaign plane, the New Democrats are putting on a contest for you. The “Jet with Jagmeet Contest” is offering the chance for the winner to fly on the campaign’s plane for a day during the election […]
Time for Conservatives to swear off phony attacks on Trudeau
HALIFAX—Canada’s Hard Right understands that anger is the new mother’s milk of politics—well-financed anger. An angry person is a person you can enlist and manipulate more easily. Anger is the favourite motivator of the Conservative Party of Canada, and its supporting entities like Rebel Media. It is unvarnished emotionalism designed to provoke action without thinking. […]
