Scheer’s already done, try again Tories
TORONTO—So, Andrew Scheer shuffled his “shadow cabinet” last week. It was newsworthy only in that it reminded us that the newly minted Conservative Party leader is, you know, not dead. But he isn’t all that alive either. Scheer exists in some sort of political limbo, neither here nor there. Among other things, he is remarkably […]
Twitterverse has something to say about Trudeau’s favourite beer
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is knee-deep in scandal after an interview he recently did with a U.S. website, and not just because he’s again granted access to foreign journalists while Canadian scribes settle for emailed talking points from his staffers. He’s featured in a video interview by Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, founders of an […]
NDP leadership race comes down to choice of ‘power vs. principle,’ say strategists
With voting in the NDP leadership race starting later this month, political strategists say the decision comes down to party members deciding whether they want to make a pragmatic choice—i.e., pick someone who can beat Justin Trudeau—or they prefer someone who stays true to the party’s social democratic principles, or perhaps even strike balance between […]
Quebec unimpressed with NDP
MONTREAL—The numbers are in and they don’t bode well for the NDP in Quebec, regardless of the outcome of the party’s upcoming leadership vote. The enthusiasm that attended the 2011 orange wave has given way to widespread voter indifference as well as internal discomfort within the province’s depleted NDP ranks. None of the four candidates […]
Scheer’s shadow cabinet strikes reasonable balance
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer made some shrewd moves in picking his shadow cabinet last week—both in terms of the MPs he included and didn’t. Given how close Maxime Bernier was to becoming party leader in this year’s race, Mr. Scheer owed it to the party membership to give Mr. Bernier a prominent role in caucus. […]
Jagmeet Singh, 38, is oldest on his campaign team
At 38, Ontario NDP MPP and leadership contender Jagmeet Singh is the oldest person in his core leadership campaign team, which has focused on training a large, national unit to tackle field work and manage roughly 2,500 volunteers across the country, says campaign director Michal Hay. “Most of our resources are actually in field [operations],” […]
NDP leadership contest taking place in ‘unprecedented’ format
The NDP are trying something new this time around to pick their leader. The next leader of the party will be elected via a preferential, ranked-choice ballot system, but one that can be altered between rounds. The party is doing away with hosting one big convention, which is the (pardon the pun) conventional way parties elect […]
Three lead staffers make up ‘lean and mean’ Caron team
NDP MP Guy Caron is running a “lean and mean” leadership campaign, relying on the efforts of roughly 350 volunteers on the ground across the country, says co-campaign director Isaac Cockburn. A three-member core team of paid staff has been running Mr. Caron’s leadership campaign since its official launch on Feb. 27. That includes Mr. […]
Experienced team guiding Angus campaign through long leadership race
Two veteran New Democrats are running NDP MP Charlie Angus’ leadership campaign, which has been ramping up this summer and planning how best to tackle the party’s new leadership election process. “Having it over a long period of time, it means that the membership doesn’t get engaged [really until] towards the end,“ said co-campaign manager Jesse […]
Who’s giving to whom: prominent Canadians, party insiders donate to NDP leadership candidates
Life of Pi author Yann Martel is among the prominent Canadians and party insiders who have shelled out to help NDP leadership candidates in the past few months. Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, Ont.) earned the nod from Mr. Martel, who offered the near-maximum amount of $1,500 to the northern Ontario MP. Mr. Angus’ team noted a […]
