Time to take Poilievre seriously, no matter how unserious he seems
CHELSEA, QUE.—Those who believe a prime minister Pierre Poilievre is unthinkable had better start thinking—particularly the sleepy-heads in the Liberal communications shop. Political Twitter is a river of vituperation, and social media, generally, a fetid soup of ancient grudges and fresh outrage. But it is Poilievre’s natural habitat and the Ottawa-area Conservative MP is winning […]
A leader with baggage steps back into the spotlight
The entrance of Jean Charest, ex-politician extraordinaire, to the federal Conservative leadership race requires a closer examination of his work since 2013 as an influential lobbyist and consultant while at McCarthy Tétrault. This comes as Charest is breathing a sigh of relief after the Quebec Liberal Party was just cleared by an anti-corruption probe into […]
Conservative purity test for leadership does party no favours
OTTAWA—The Conservative Party of Canada’s leadership race is beginning to take full flight. Some key rules for the contest were announced last week, and the perceived early front runner Pierre Poilievre—the first declared candidate—is galloping across Canada trying to line up support. Another would-be contender, respected commentator Tasha Kheiriddin, announced she won’t be seeking the […]
Conservatives say next federal election will be a ‘change election,’ amping up stakes and division in current leadership contest
Conservatives say they expect their next party leader to most likely be the next prime minister of Canada, which is why the leadership race, unofficially begun last month when MP Pierre Poilievre announced his candidacy, will be ugly and divisive. “The stakes are higher, and when the stakes are higher, people’s elbows start to go […]
Trudeau should shut down Liberal leadership election speculation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been insisting since the last election that he will lead his party into the next one. How likely is this? It’s common sense that if Trudeau were planning to retire, he would not announce his intentions now to avoid becoming a lame duck prime minister. Still, in private, off-the-record conversations, […]
Poilievre’s past reveals populist, highly-partisan approach his favoured form of politics
Pierre Poilievre may be the next leader of the Conservative Party and, if things go his way, the next prime minister of Canada. But who is he and what does he stand for? And is he playing a dangerous game? First elected in 2004 as the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Ottawa-area riding of […]
Advice to leadership contenders on key policy planks to win Canadian Conservatives
TORONTO—As the Conservative Party launches into another leadership campaign, it should start with an examination of the reasons for the party’s recent electoral failure. The attempted move to the centre was a good idea to try to win over blue-collar, suburban, and urban voters, especially in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. However, the approach was […]
Upcoming leadership election a defining moment for Conservative Party
After the ouster of Erin O’Toole as party leader on Feb. 2, the Conservative Party is about to embark on the challenging and important endeavour of electing a new leader. The outcome will not only determine if the Conservative Party is serious about winning the next election but also if the merger of the PC […]
Charest won’t be intimidated by ‘spin’ that Harper’s opposed to his potential leadership bid, says top strategist Coates
Some Conservative sources telling reporters that Stephen Harper is against Jean Charest’s potential candidacy for the Conservative Party’s top job is “spin” and a scare tactic to intimidate the former Quebec premier from entering the leadership election, says a top strategist for Charest’s potential leadership bid. “I don’t believe it,” said Michael Coates, co-founder and […]
Strong start for Poilievre, but room remains for other serious leadership contenders, say strategists
Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre may be off to a strong start, but strategists say there’s still plenty of time for other serious contenders to emerge in the party’s upcoming leadership race, which will help define its path forward. Putting his name forward quickly was definitely a good move for Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.), said Garry Keller, […]
