Liberal campaign spinning its wheels: media bus gives the Grits more trouble
As the Liberals were stuck in crisis management mode after the revelation that its leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, had previously been photographed wearing brownface and blackface as recently as 2001, the party’s media campaign bus was also stuck—at a campaign stop in Burnaby, B.C., on Sept. 24, to be exact. The campaign bus “bottomed […]
Clout of young voters remains the crucial election question
OTTAWA—Justin Trudeau’s theatricality and mindless whimsy have cost him dearly. The prime minister’s dress-up antics in India last year raised a lot of doubts about his judgment. And it’s obvious the photos of him from years ago in racial face paint have undermined his credibility and stature at home and abroad. The Liberal campaign stalled […]
Manitoba Liberal MPs not deterred by recent provincial Tory majority win
Despite a provincial election that coloured Manitoba a Conservative blue last week, some Liberal MPs say they’re hopeful when it comes to their party’s position in the province federally. The federal Conservatives currently hold five of the 14 Manitoba seats in the House of Commons, but are edged out by the Liberals, with seven seats, […]
Arctic policy framework released ‘last minute’ ahead of October election, say experts
After nearly three years of waiting, the release of the Trudeau government’s much-anticipated Arctic policy framework was rushed ahead of the looming election, possibly with the aim of avoiding a campaign “vulnerability” for the Liberals, say experts. The Arctic and Northern Policy Framework was released with little fanfare on Sept. 10, just a day before […]
Trudeau should follow his father’s lead and let others challenge Bill 21
OTTAWA–It was October of 1977. Marc Lalonde, the powerful federal cabinet minister, was glowering at me as he yelled into my microphone. I was a 25-year-old radio reporter in Montreal, and he had just announced that the cabinet, led by then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau, would not challenge the constitutionality of Quebec’s language law, Bill 101. […]
Facing the nation: leaders’ tours hint at parties’ vulnerabilities, seats in play
The party leaders’ sprint across the country in the run-up to the election hints at where campaign strategists think their team can make inroads, or—depending on the state of the electoral map and public opinion polls—where they need to play defence, say political observers. It’s no surprise the four major party leaders have been logging […]
Greens running biggest federal campaign yet, led by Jonathan Dickie
Much is new when it comes to the federal Green Party’s campaign, including a first-ever rapid response team, a bulked up team of provincial organizers, and national campaign manager Jonathan Dickie says the party is currently “fairly confident” it can win between six and 12 seats on Oct. 21. “That number’s constantly shifting as we […]
NDP defection gives Greens ‘boost’ in New Brunswick, but it’s still an ‘uphill battle’
The federal Green Party’s endorsement by a group of former provincial NDP candidates—though inflated in its original number—gives the party a “bolt of energy” in New Brunswick, say observers, though the province remains an “uphill battle” for the Green Party. At a press conference on Sept. 3, a group of provincial New Democrat defectors presented […]
The world can’t take much more right-wing populism
OTTAWA—One of the more interesting little moments at every G7 summit comes toward the end when the country that will be the host the following year announces the site of the next leaders’ conference. True to Donald Trump’s usual machinations, the U.S. president turned this mildy newsy routine into a huge controversy, saying it would […]
Rookie Quebec Liberal MP Nassif unexpectedly says she won’t seek re-election
Rookie Quebec Liberal MP Eva Nassif was “confident,” until recently, the party would nominate her as a candidate. But on Thursday night, she announced unexpectedly she won’t seek re-election, “because of recent events of a personal nature” that she said she does “not take lightly.” In a statement on Twitter, Ms. Nassif (Vimy, Que.) did […]
