Poilievre needs to ‘bomb the bridge’ of Carney’s credibility to win one of Canada’s ‘most consequential’ elections, say political players

It’s considered one of the most consequential elections in Canadian history, as Canada faces down U.S. President Donald Trump. The Liberals had been trailing the Conservatives by 25 points for almost two years, up until January. Now, they’re leading by 14 points, a dramatic 39-point swing in just two months and under a new, untested political leader. It could come down to the wire with three weeks left in the campaign.
Liberals, Conservatives should be doing better candidate vetting

You can typically expect some candidates to be dropped during an election campaign. But this time around, the Liberals and Conservatives have pitched the poll as being one of the most important in a generation. Such sloppy vetting and careless nomination processes do not inspire confidence in either party to show the seriousness required of this moment.
Liberals could pick up five to six seats in Alberta, but NDP’s bleed in votes could also help Conservatives, say strategists

Alberta has long been a stronghold for the federal Conservative Party, but political insiders say the Liberal Party’s rapid surge in the polls over the past two months has put at least five of the province’s 37 ridings into play for a potential Mark Carney win in the upcoming election. In an interview with The […]
Conservatives target labour vote as NDP support wanes, but union leader says there’s ‘no substance’ behind catchy slogans

‘You might see Poilievre going around to shop floors, but has he ever been on a picket line?’ asks NDP national director Anne McGrath.
Pundit panel: what is each leader’s biggest weakness?

‘Message discipline has long been [Pierre] Poilievre’s kryptonite, and anyone expecting him to abandon the affordability focus in favour of a singular message on Canada-U.S. relations would be mistaken,’ says ex-CPC staffer Josie Sabatino.
Arctic security takes spotlight as Canadian sovereignty remains key campaign issue

The prominent focus on defence this election shows ‘a reorientation’ as Canada faces ‘an existential threat,’ says Liberal John McKay, who is not seeking re-election.
Poilievre’s predicament: can he wait out the Carney-public puppy love?

The force of personality that some found so compelling in the Conservative leader isn’t penetrating to the degree the party now wants as infighting kicks off.
Ripper offers a detailed, accessible, engrossing look at the making of Pierre Poilievre

Mark Bourrie sets out to tell Pierre Poilievre’s story from the beginning, and shows not only his origins and how they shaped the man currently seeking the Prime Minister’s Office, but also how little that person has changed in 30 years.
‘I was totally shocked’: shut-out Tory nomination hopefuls blast backroom players for denying them contests in GTA, Calgary, and B.C.

‘I’m a victim of Conservative Party’s nomination process,’ says Keshav Mandadi, a potential nomination candidate in Mississauga East-Cooksville, Ont.
Bread, not circuses: dwindling appetite for politics as usual is helping Carney

If polls and general chatter are accurate, voters may be ready for more content, less contempt.