NDP, Tories target soft Liberal supporters in latest attacks: Veroni
Clive Veroni, one of the country’s leading advertising experts and author of Spin: How Politics Have the Power to Turn Marketing on its Head, dissects three of the recent ads released by the Conservatives, NDP and Liberals for The Hill Times. NDP ad ‘When it Counted’: Funny clown music undermines seriousness of charges levelled […]
CBC’s debate coverage approach raises questions about value of public broadcaster
OTTAWA—Hubert Lacroix, president of the CBC, recently placed the future of Canada’s national public broadcaster on the electoral map with comments aimed at sparking a renewed debate on future funding models. Lacroix disputed claims that low ratings are to blame for the CBC’s financial struggles, instead pointing to the need to consider alternative fee schemes, […]
NDP gain in New Brunswick at Liberals’ expense, while Tories struggle in rest of Atlantic
The Trudeau Liberals started strong in New Brunswick, but the provincial Liberals’ disastrous first year in power has tainted the Trudeau brand and the party has fallen into third place, according to a recent Corporate Research Associates poll. Ironically, Liberal Premier Brian Gallant, a friend of Mr. Trudeau’s who was introduced by New Brunswick Liberal […]
Citizenship: getting the balance right
OTTAWA—With the federal election and a possible change of government, what are the policy changes an incoming government may wish to consider and which policies may it wish to keep? The government made “citizenship harder to get and easier to lose.” Residency, knowledge, and language were all tightened (with reduced administrative discretion to waive language […]
With fewer workers in the future, how will we generate economic activity?
TORONTO—When Statistics Canada reported that there were now more Canadians aged 65 years and older than Canadians aged 15 and younger, little attention was paid by our vote-seeking politicians to one of the most important implications. With fewer workers in the future to support each Canadian headed for retirement, how will we generate enough economic […]
Dippers are dipping, at precisely the wrong time
TORONTO—The NDP seems to be losing. How come? By the time you read this, their barrage of anti-Trudeau attack ads may have put them back in contention. And perhaps Thomas Mulcair had a good showing in that final French-language debate, and he clobbered Stephen Harper. And maybe the party has figured out a way to […]
Conservatives offer small-ball policy, big-fear Islamophobia
OTTAWA—If there was one day on the campaign trail that captures the Conservative Party’s election strategy, it was the day Stephen Harper announced a new tax credit for single and widowed seniors worth no more than $25 a month. This small-ball announcement came on the same day as the government lost its appeal of a […]
Angry Tom’s back, and he’s not going down without a fight
OTTAWA—Angry Tom is back. And the New Democrat leader is not going to go down without a fight. So after vowing never to use negative advertising, he has unleashed his ire on an unlikely target, his rival on the left. Thomas Mulcair started off on this campaign refusing to even mention the name Justin Trudeau. […]
Political leaders need to be real
OAKVILLE, ONT.—As I watch the federal election slowly unfold the thought has occurred to me that every major political party leader in this race needs the same bit of advice. And because I’m a poetic guy, I’d put that advice to them in classy Shakespearean prose, i.e. “To thine own self be true.” (Please note: […]
Bring back national, televised leaders’ debates
When Prime Minister Stephen Harper pulled out of the consortium-controlled televised debates, it was a bit of a shocker. But then it got exciting. His move forced new approaches and created new options. However, now that all five televised debates have happened, it’s also been a lost opportunity. Of all the debates, including Maclean’s, The […]
