Kenney’s campaigning could help Conservatives in B.C., hurt them in Quebec, say politicos

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is making good on his promise to campaign against the federal Liberals as the election approaches, and political observers say he could help the federal Conservatives to win seats in B.C., but could also hurt them in Quebec if he isn’t careful. Mr. Kenney led his United Conservative Party to a […]
Time has come for Liberals to get a spine on guns in Canada

OTTAWA—Guns are now a mental problem. So says American president Donald Trump, who continues to claim there is “no political appetite” for legislation governing the guns themselves even though he is finally admitting that it might be wise to improve background checks on those who want to purchase them. On this side of the border, Liberals […]
Five ways NDP seeks to differentiate itself from Trudeau government

An NDP government under Jagmeet Singh may be a long shot, given the party’s performance in the polls, which have had the Conservatives and the Liberals running neck and neck for months at a time. Still, the party is hoping to pry some progressive votes away from the Liberals in part by calling for a universal […]
NDP eyes youth electorate in fundraising appeals in hopes of drawing first-time voters to polls

After the unprecedented turnout of young voters in the last election that helped propel the Liberals into power, the NDP appears to be making a play for that electorate. Last month, the party sent a series of fundraising appeals, asking supporters to contribute to its First-Time Voters fund. The campaign sought to raise $100,000 to […]
Scheer’s abandoned pledge to quickly balance budget if elected a ‘confirmation’ Liberal plan is working, says Grit MP Easter

The Conservative leader recently pulled back on his 2017 promise to balance the federal budget in two years if elected, and the Liberal chair of the House Finance Committee says that’s a sign Andrew Scheer thinks the government’s current approach is working. A July 30 Globe and Mail editorial points out that “in May, Andrew Scheer […]
Parties competing over values, not substance, in foreign policy platforms

In the 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau campaigned on a foreign policy vision that differed radically from that of Stephen Harper, arguing that a decade of Conservative rule meant that Canada had drifted away from upholding the values that underpinned its actions as a global actor. However, in power, the differences between the two are […]
‘We need to be at the table’: nominated Indigenous candidates near 2015’s record high

With at least 40 Indigenous candidates running for federal office in 2019, the number is nearing the record-breaking 54 contenders in 2015, and almost doubling those nominated in 2011. Most are running under a red banner, with 13 Indigenous people confirmed as Liberal candidates, followed by 11 for the NDP, seven for the Conservatives, seven […]
Record-setting second quarter thanks to pre-election momentum, messaging, say party reps

Four of the five major political parties set fundraising records in the second quarter of 2019, the NDP excluded, and party reps say the boost in donors and dollars comes down to pre-election momentum and shows party messaging is “resonating” with supporters. “The recipe has stayed the same for the most part,” said Cory Hann, […]
Liberal MP Finnigan pitching Child Benefit, EI changes as he defends at-risk New Brunswick seat

Liberal MP Pat Finnigan is getting a helping hand from Liberal cabinet ministers and a head start from the opposition Conservatives as he gears up to try and hold onto his Miramichi-Grand Lake, N.B., seat in this fall’s election. Science Minister Kirsty Duncan (Etobicoke North, Ont.) visited a children’s gaming event at a New Brunswick […]
Treasury Board President Murray’s chief of staff exits for Liberal campaign

Treasury Board President Joyce Murray recently bid farewell to her chief of staff, Adam Carroll, who’s left Parliament Hill to join the national Liberal campaign team. Mr. Carroll became the party’s Ontario campaign director on July 6. Before returning to work on Parliament Hill in October 2017 as chief of staff to then-treasury board president […]