O’Toole backed by fresh but familiar team for digital-heavy 2021 Conservative campaign
A new leader and a new campaign manager are running the Conservative ship for the 44th general election, backed by a fresh batch of experienced organizers, including many of the key figures behind Erin O’Toole’s leadership win during the thick of the pandemic last year. “You have a different leader, with a different team, and […]
O’Toole proving to be key player, not political prop
OTTAWA—As we hit the halfway mark of the 2021 campaign, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is so far demonstrating, yet again, he should not be underestimated. O’Toole was considered an underdog to win the 2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership contest. Then the prohibitive favourite of the commentariat was Peter Mackay. O’Toole won. Heading into this […]
Red versus blue rematch marks tight Richmond Hill battle
RICHMOND HILL, ONT.—Carrying a bundle of signs hooked around his shoulder, Richmond Hill, Ont., Liberal candidate Majid Jowhari in his red Nike sneakers strikes an evocative image, a red phantasm drifting from door to door making easygoing conversation in English and Farsi while door knocking on Aug. 26. Though the first few houses don’t answer […]
All-party support mutes impact of supply management in election, despite political sniping
Despite concessions in successive trade deals on access to Canada’s supply-managed dairy sector, cross-party support means it is unlikely to be a decisive ballot box issue in crucial rural ridings in Ontario and Quebec. All five major political parties have pledged their backing for the supply management system, with the Liberal government committing not to […]
Chinese ambassador says some politicians putting ‘personal political interests’ above Canada-China relationship
Amid a narrowing federal election, the Chinese ambassador to Canada says some politicians are putting their own “political interests” ahead of the Canada-China relationship, in an apparent reference to the Conservative Party. Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole (Durham, Ont.) has been a vocal critic of Beijing and has called for Canada to realign its relationship with […]
O’Toole’s opioid crisis plan part of a ‘broader move’ to the left, says pollster
The Conservatives’ new plan to tackle Canada’s opioid crisis, treating it as a national health emergency to help those battling drug addiction, is evidence that the party is attempting to court more voters on the left, according to one pollster. “It seems to be part of a general attempt to open up a position much […]
Peaks and pitfalls: parties’ social media presence could make or break campaigns
It’s unclear whether a party’s social media effectiveness directly translates into electoral success, but the various approaches used during the campaign will have some kind of impact come election day, political and marketing experts say. Digital campaigns may be particularly important this year, given the increased focus on online spaces during the pandemic. “This campaign, […]
A true-blue Tory in the Conservatives’ big tent? In search of Erin O’Toole
OTTAWA—Erin O’Toole has learned that it doesn’t matter what your convictions are as long as you say things people want to hear and deny it when you don’t. A former corporate lawyer who portrays himself as an average Joe, the Conservative leader is running a campaign that is a study in ambiguity and vagueness, touching […]
Incremental Tory tweaks won’t make for a better Canada
OTTAWA—This election season is as uninspiring as Hillary Clinton’s candidacy for president in the 2016 U.S. election, yet it’s probably one of the most important elections for at least a decade. This is the election that will determine who gets to redraw the board, in terms of what the priorities are and which structural changes […]
Supporters irked as parties eschew competition amid tight deadline to fill candidate slots
With parties rushing to fill their slate of candidates just over a month from the federal election, some grassroots supporters have been angered as candidates are being green lit without a competitive nomination fight. Tight deadlines have led to parties handpicking candidates, which one former MP says can lead to more electoral success than having […]
