Plots thicken, storylines unfold as choose-your-own election adventure kicks off
OTTAWA—This time next week, we will be officially in the midst of the federal election campaign. The Oct. 21 finish line will almost be in sight. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still favoured to win as we start, but his victory is by no means a certainty. There are a few things I will be […]
‘They simply ran out the clock,’ says PSAC, as feds, union fail to reach deal before election
After six continuous days of last minute bargaining beginning Labour Day weekend, the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Treasury Board Secretariat were unable to reach a new contract agreement. Talks between the country’s largest public sector union and the government, which included discussions around monetary compensation for the problem-plagued Phoenix pay system, are […]
It’s on: Trudeau to formally kick off federal election Wednesday, 41-day campaign begins
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scheduled to formally ask Canada’s governor general on Wednesday morning to dissolve Parliament, setting the stage for the 41-day federal election campaign. The Prime Minister’s Office announced on Tuesday afternoon that the prime minister will meet with Gov.-Gen. Julie Payette at Rideau Hall at 10 a.m. The call ends speculation […]
Cross-party House friendships of the last century appear to be non-existent today
OTTAWA—Last week, former prime minister Brian Mulroney celebrated the 35th anniversary of his momentous 1984 victory against the governing Liberals. With the election of 211 Progressive Conservative members to the 33rd Parliament, it resulted in the biggest majority government in the history of Canada. His daughter, Caroline Mulroney, now a provincial cabinet minister in Ontario, […]
Counting seats, not votes, has Liberals sitting pretty
VANCOUVER—If you are focused on the national horserace numbers, you may be missing the story of this election. If you look closely, not only can you see the Liberals have their votes in the right places, there are pockets of seats that may give the Liberals unexpected gains. As Hillary Clinton and Al Gore will […]
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 […]
‘Choose your poison’: that’s the ballot question for most Canadians in Oct. 21 federal election, says pollster Nanos
None of the national parties appears to be connecting to a majority of Canadians and a leading pollster is predicting the ballot question will be “choose your poison” on Oct. 21. “A lot of this has to do with the fact that people are unhappy with both of the choices [Liberals and Conservatives],” said Nik […]
NDP campaign platform remains rooted in the past
TORONTO—The NDP is out of the gate with its federal election campaign platform, even if it is not out of the gate when it comes to nominating candidates. Yet while it importantly raises many of the issues of inequality, injustice, and lack of opportunity facing Canadians, and identifies areas for tax reform, it fails, overall, […]
The myth and opportunity of the Indigenous vote
OTTAWA—It’s election time again, and time when political parties look to build voter support from voters across the country. Are Indigenous votes included in these national discussions about where we want to go as a country? Some may answer that there is enough Indigenous inclusion. The usual defence is either the Indigenous vote is so […]
‘NDP in serious difficulty,’ Greens could win more seats than NDP; and Grits and Conservatives poised for a ‘quite ugly, bare knuckles fight,’ says pollster Graves
While the Liberals and Conservatives are poised for a “quite ugly, bare knuckles” fight and the NDP vote declines across the country, the benefactor could be the Greens, who could win more seats than the New Democrats, says a veteran pollster. But another seasoned pollster says it’s too early to predict the Green Party’s rise […]
