Red versus blue rematch marks tight Richmond Hill battle
RICHMOND HILL, ONT.—Carrying a bundle of signs hooked around his shoulder, Richmond Hill, Ont., Liberal candidate Majid Jowhari in his red Nike sneakers strikes an evocative image, a red phantasm drifting from door to door making easygoing conversation in English and Farsi while door knocking on Aug. 26. Though the first few houses don’t answer […]
All-party support mutes impact of supply management in election, despite political sniping
Despite concessions in successive trade deals on access to Canada’s supply-managed dairy sector, cross-party support means it is unlikely to be a decisive ballot box issue in crucial rural ridings in Ontario and Quebec. All five major political parties have pledged their backing for the supply management system, with the Liberal government committing not to […]
How Trudeau’s cabinet ministers did in the last election
All but one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s (Papineau, Que.) cabinet of 37 are vying for re-election. Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna, who has represented Ottawa Centre, Ont., since 2015 is stepping away after winning the riding by a healthy 19.7 per cent margin in 2019. All the other members of Mr. Trudeau’s cabinet were incumbents […]
Peaks and pitfalls: parties’ social media presence could make or break campaigns
It’s unclear whether a party’s social media effectiveness directly translates into electoral success, but the various approaches used during the campaign will have some kind of impact come election day, political and marketing experts say. Digital campaigns may be particularly important this year, given the increased focus on online spaces during the pandemic. “This campaign, […]
Conservative election ad pulled, but not before being panned by party members and public alike
The Conservatives ran a bizarre attack ad Aug. 13, in an attempt to paint Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a spoiled candy-hungry child a la the character Veruca Salt from many people’s childhood classic film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The 37-second ad, which premiered on Twitter before being deleted later after vicious mocking, […]
Supporters irked as parties eschew competition amid tight deadline to fill candidate slots
With parties rushing to fill their slate of candidates just over a month from the federal election, some grassroots supporters have been angered as candidates are being green lit without a competitive nomination fight. Tight deadlines have led to parties handpicking candidates, which one former MP says can lead to more electoral success than having […]
Liberals failed to win any seats in Alberta in 2019 but are now competitive in at least four ridings, say top strategists and insiders
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was not able to win any seats in the last federal election in Alberta, the bedrock of the Conservative Party’s base, but the Liberals are now competitive in at least four ridings, chiefly because of the unpopularity of provincial and federal Conservatives and due to the federal government’s effective handling of […]
Anand’s press aide departs, director-level changes for Lametti, Rodriguez
Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand and her office have had a busy year-and-a-half, and with an anticipated federal election on the horizon, Cecely Roy recently announced her exit. Ms. Roy, who served as press secretary to Ms. Anand under the title of senior adviser for media relations, announced that the week of Aug. […]
New advisers hired for ministers O’Regan, Gould, Sajjan
Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan has a pair of new aides in his ministerial office, with Mark Duggan recently brought on board as a policy adviser and Yasmine Atassi hired as a special assistant for policy and executive assistant to the minister’s chief of staff, Paul Moen. Mr. Duggan, who joined Mr. O’Regan’s team in […]
Backroom handling of potential Liberal nomination in Kanata-Carleton causing fissures in riding, say riding association members and potential candidates
If the Liberals are planning on appointing a candidate in Kanata-Carleton, Ont., for the next election without consulting the riding association, or going through the regular nomination process, they should think twice, say some potential Liberal candidates and riding association members. “We would like a nomination process that’s open and transparent,” said Dr. Rouba Fattal, […]
