Canada can look to Wales for key lessons in voter registration

Maintaining an accurate voter registry is crucial for election administration bodies to ensure that citizens face fewer barriers to voting. Research on elections demonstrates that a well-operating voter registration system is critical to enable turnout and also promotes high voter turnout. Therefore, it follows that if a system aims to increase voter turnout, it should […]
Thousands of expiring Conservative Party memberships this month throwing a wrench in nominations, say Conservatives

The thousands of Conservative Party memberships expiring this month are adding another layer of complexity in the nomination process as candidates are already facing an uphill battle to sign up new members in the midst of the ongoing pandemic, say Conservatives. “Everything’s more difficult in a pandemic, door-to-door knocking efforts to try to get support for the […]
Election speculation, party conventions likely boosted fundraising haul, say strategists

The possibility of a looming election likely boosted some opposition parties’ haul in the first few months of the new year, strategists say, with the Conservatives posting more than double what they fundraised the year prior. The Conservatives under leader Erin O’Toole (Durham, Ont.) led the pack with $8.4-million in the first quarter, up significantly […]
Former cabinet minister Sohi to officially launch Edmonton mayoral bid soon, sources say

Former natural resources minister Amarjeet Sohi is eyeing the job of Edmonton mayor in the upcoming October municipal election, sources told The Hill Times. Mr. Sohi, who represented the federal riding of Edmonton Mill Woods for four years, starting in 2015, did not respond to interview requests, but sources said that he is expected to […]
Looking back: a decade since the 2011 election

KAMOURASKA, QUE.—Time flies quickly as one ages. In that respect, while it seems like yesterday, this May 2 marked a decade since I was a candidate in the 2011 federal election. It was an historic election for many reasons: it gave the Conservative government of Stephen Harper its first majority; the famed “Orange Wave” in […]
Carney’s potential run for office has Liberals talking

If Mark Carney is going to run anywhere in the next election it will probably be in Ottawa South, say political insiders, but the Liberal MP who represents that riding says he’s going to re-offer. Politicos and journalists have been speculating about the future of the former governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank […]
O’Toole’s pivot to the centre and carbon pricing calculated risks to win next election, say pollsters

By introducing policies like carbon pricing and pivoting to the political centre, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is taking a calculated risk to expand and build his party’s winning coalition for the next election, but it remains to be seen if this will pay off at the polls, say pollsters. “He’s made a big gamble,” said […]
‘Breathtaking’ childcare pledge to pay dividends beyond recouping pandemic losses: labour experts

The Liberal government deserves some praise for centring in its budget a billion-dollar plan to address the pandemic-propelled she-cession that has seen women exit the labour force in record numbers, say labour experts, who note a more even economic recovery is likely to hinge on smaller-ticket items, at least in the short term. Childcare as […]
‘There’s so much at stake with this’: Liberal MPs want landmark federal budget focused on economics, not politics

The government’s April 19 federal budget, the first one to be released in more than two years, will lay the foundation for the next election battle, say pollsters, but some Liberal MPs want it to focus on boosting the economy, not the Liberal Party’s political fortunes. “I don’t think it should be a very political […]
Political figures share stories of Prince Philip, Ottawa commemoration set for April 17

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died April 9 at the age of 99. Canadian political figures were quick to express their condolences and to share their own stories of personal interactions with him. One such person was Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who recalled sitting at the prince’s table during an informal barbecue at Rideau […]