Think Trump politics is invading Canada? Watch the NDP leadership race and think again
MONTREAL—In one of those great moments in multi-streaming the other day, I clicked on a Politico piece called “Trump’s Dictator Chic” in the middle of watching the NDP leadership debate. Just as I was reading author Peter York’s account of where the new American president’s breathtakingly garish Fifth Avenue apartment fits in the pantheon of eerily similar […]
Conservative leadership candidate primer
Kellie Leitch Kellie Leitch, the MP for Simcoe Grey, Ont. staked out her claim in this race early and enthusiastically. Top of her list is screening any and all visitors to Canada to see whether they have “Canadian values.” “I don’t think it’s intolerant to believe in a set of values that we expect everyone […]
Don’t underestimate Kellie Leitch, or the people supporting her
OTTAWA—Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch has a following, and there’s a reason for that. Many voters do not live in big cities, will never be able to afford a higher education, couldn’t care less about cosmopolitan cultural norms, and cannot identify with anyone in government. They feel alienated and disconnected from Ottawa. When you cannot […]
Niki Ashton says NDP at ‘crossroads’ and needs to be put ‘back on track’
Niki Ashton says the NDP is “at a crossroads,” and that the ongoing leadership race is a method of getting the party “back on track.” Ms. Ashton, the 34-year-old MP for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski, in northern Manitoba, and the latest candidate to enter the race, believes “back on track” means tacking to the left. “In the last election […]
The rules of the race
The Conservative leadership race, with its mudslinging and whopping 14 candidates, feels like it’s been going on for ages. In fact, it is coming up on the one-year mark, which means it’s also nearing the end. The leadership convention where the final decision will be undertaken by party membership will be on May 27 at […]
Liberals ‘back in the driver’s seat’ with 43 per cent voter support: survey
The Liberals are back with a firm grip on voter support after slipping into a tie with the Conservatives last month, according to new poll conducted by Campaign Research. Results shared exclusively with The Hill Times for polling done between March 5 and 7 show the Liberals with 43 per cent support. That’s up from 34 […]
Bernier, O’Leary, Scheer considered the top contenders for Conservative leadership, say Conservative insiders
Conservative MP Maxime Bernier, businessman Kevin O’Leary, and Conservative MP Andrew Scheer are considered the top three contenders of the 14 contestants vying for the party’s leadership, say Conservative Party insiders. “I just keep hearing those three names as either people’s first or second choice on the ballot,” said Chad Rogers, a partner with Crestview […]
How to get ‘what’s his name?’ elected
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Back in the early 2000s, I was with a group that commissioned an opinion poll to gauge potential support for a guy who had ambitions to lead a national political party. As it turned out, the results proved a little embarrassing; actually, make that a lot embarrassing. Indeed, the poll revealed our want-to-be leader […]
Liberals buzzing about a summer cabinet shuffle, fall Throne Speech
PARLIAMENT HILL—Government backbenchers say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could conduct a major cabinet shuffle this summer followed by a Throne Speech in the fall as Liberals approach the midpoint of their four-year mandate before the next federal election in 2019 and after the Conservatives elect their new leader in May. “You’re halfway through the mandate. You move around some ministers and give […]
Pipelines to be a ‘fundamental’ issue for NDP leadership race: Julian
Pipelines could shape up to be a defining issue in the NDP leadership race, as the party’s members and provincial wings have clashing views on resource development and the construction of new oil pipelines. During the last election, federal leader Tom Mulcair (Outremont, Que.) didn’t commit to being either for or against the Energy East pipeline. […]
