English leaders’ debate had a few bright spots worth appreciating
Last week’s English-language televised leaders’ debate was roundly denounced by pundits in print and on social media, for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, there were a few bright spots that deserve mention and appreciation, at a time when our political discourse is relentlessly negative. Those who were expecting a thoughtful and substantial discussion of issues […]
B.C. up for grabs in election where every seat could count
The election race in Canada’s third-largest province looks to be a toss-up, with the NDP and Conservatives in a strong position in British Columbia, and the Liberals on the backfoot—for now. Some opinion polls show the NDP and Conservatives effectively tied for first place in the province midway through the election campaign. Whether that trend […]
Top 33 ‘safest seats’ in Canada won by Conservatives in 2019, with top 13 winning by a 70 per cent margin or more
There were 109 candidates who won their seats in Parliament with at least a 25-per-cent-plus margin of victory in the 2019 election, or just under one-third of the House of Commons. And after crunching the numbers, The Hill Times found that all of the top 33 safest seats in Canada were won by a Conservative […]
Local democracy in action: climate conversation focus of Election 44 debate series this week
The election on Sept. 20 will close out another summer of extreme weather, July and August in Ontario brought heat waves, extreme thunderstorms, tornados, and fires across the northwest. British Columbia burned and hundreds died under a heat dome and the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a code red for humanity.During the last federal […]
The problem with great expectations
OAKVILLE, ONT.—The way things are going right now, the only federal political party leader who might be truly happy when this federal election is over is Maxime Bernier. Now let me quickly add here, I’m not suggesting Bernier’s fledgling People’s Party will score some sort of major electoral breakthrough. My point is, Bernier seems poised […]
O’Toole offers classic suck-and-blow solution to Canada’s gun laws
HALIFAX—Forget the leaders’ English language debate, unless snark-fests turn your crank. If you really want to know what’s inside Erin O’Toole, the Conservative leader himself supplied the X-ray during the first French-language debate. Justin Trudeau hit O’Toole with one of the few solid shots of the campaign, declaring that the Conservative leader would end the […]
Politics This Morning: Wilson-Raybould calls on Liberals to remove roadblocks to RCMP inquiry; O’Toole in Carp, Singh in Sioux Lookout
Good Monday morning, and happy day 30 of the campaign. The Liberals have inched ahead in the polls following the leadership debates, and are now in first place once again. According to CBC’s Poll Tracker, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is at 31.9 per cent support, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is at 31.7 per cent, NDP […]
Election#44 ‘most interesting, complex, unpredictable’ campaign in decades
More than halfway to the finish line of the 44th federal election, Canadian voters ponder their ballot choices. Their decision will be set against the backdrop of an unprecedented pandemic-tinged campaign; angry and violent attacks against the incumbent prime minister—which last week prompted London, Ont., police to launch an investigation after Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, […]
Legault’s ‘dangerous’ claims may have just cost O’Toole the election
Quebec Premier François Legault’s “dangerous” claims may have just cost Erin O’Toole the election. Angry warnings not to vote for Liberals, New Democrats, or Greens were supposed to help the Conservative leader. Early in the campaign, Legault made it very clear that his sympathies were with O’Toole. But that was before O’Toole revealed that part […]
Liberals feel the heat, attack ads seek to make O’Toole look like an ‘unacceptable, scary alternative,’ say politicos
As parties sharpen their message with carefully crafted political advertising in the final stretch of the campaign, strategists and pollsters say these tactics, such as a trio of ads released by the Liberals on Sept. 4, are telling of a Liberal campaign that needed to go on the attack. “You can tell a lot about […]
