More debates, more May, would be good for democracy
GATINEAU, QUE.—Elizabeth May is right about (at least) two things in the wake of last Thursday night’s stimulating first debate of the 2015 campaign. The Green Party leader says we need more debates on important, but under-scrutinized issues (like pharmacare, social policy, missing and murdered aboriginal women and inequality) before Oct. 19. Second, she believes […]
Politics This Morning Election 2015: The morning after: no knock-out punches in TV debates; tracking nominated candidates across Canada
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was under attack during most of last night’s TV leaders’ debate from NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, overall, performed well. He was strong and confident. Mr. Mulcair sounded good, but came across at times as a bit too scripted and stiff. […]
Liberals expect to spend maximum limit, ‘fully-funded campaign’: Goodale
PARLIAMENT HILL—The Liberal Party, trailing third place in public opinion polls, says it is confident it will have the money to spend the national campaign expense maximum of $54.5-million for the Oct. 19 federal election—more than double the limit for party spending on the much shorter 2011 election—despite claims the long campaign and subsequent […]
Politics This Morning Election 2015: From Toronto, it’s show time tonight. First televised leaders’ debates, gloves off
Good Thursday morning. All the party leaders are hunkering down in Toronto for tonight’s first televised leaders’ debate, hosted by Maclean’s Paul Wells who recently told The Hill Times that he’s been brushing up on his big role in part by watching old Canadian and American televised leaders’ debates for pace and approach. Nice touch. We’re […]
Five factors to watch for in this election
TORONTO—Campaign length: Much has been made at the outset about the historically long 79-day writ period. In the 1960s and 1970s the average election (there were eight of them) was 61 days. While this campaign is extra long by recent standards, with more than one-third of it in the vacation-filled month of August, the extended […]
Politics This Morning Election 2015: Record number of open seats in election campaign, 85
Good Wednesday morning to you, Day 4 of the longest federal election campaign since 1872. Launched by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at Rideau Hall on Sunday, Aug. 2, it will also be one of the costliest. Elections Canada expects it costs $375-million to run a typical 37-day campaign, but it could cost as much as […]
Most disapprove of long federal election campaign, but most Conservative voters like it
PARLIAMENT HILL—A majority of Canadians, including a substantial number of Conservative Party supporters, disapprove of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to call a general election earlier than expected this year with an 11-week campaign costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars more than the statutory minimum election period of 37 days, a Forum Research poll […]
Grit Leader Trudeau, Green Leader May only two federal leaders in for debate on women’s issues, Sept. 21
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party Leader Elizabeth are the only two federal leaders to confirm they will take part in the “Up For Debate,” national leaders’ debate next month dedicated solely to women’s issues, after the coalition of more than 175 women’s groups and allied organizations lobbied all the party leaders. Prime […]
Some 20 PMO staffers on leave, election called
Some 20 staffers in the Prime Minister’s Office have taken leave in the last two weeks ahead of yesterday's start of the federal election, including director of issues management Nick Koolsbergen. Mr. Koolsbergen, a former communications director to Jason Kenney, is no longer listed as a staffer in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on the […]
NDP could win up to five seats in Alberta, but no sea change expected, says pollster
It was a common refrain for NDP MP Linda Duncan. During the 2011 election campaign, she was the party’s only incumbent MP running for re-election in the Conservative heartland of Alberta, and had to repeatedly tell voters that the NDP didn’t support shutting down the oilsands. “There never was a position for a moratorium on […]
