Round two for Team Singh: key figures return for NDP’s 2021 campaign
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and campaign director Jennifer Howard are back for round two this election, backed by a team of many experienced and returning organizers that includes a concerted focus on mobilizing Indigenous voters. “They have a campaign team that has worked together now for successive campaigns, and one of the key truisms I […]
Unpacking party platform strategies, timing important in a tight two-way race
I spent most of my political career as a ground war operative specializing in byelections, get out the vote efforts, election readiness committees, nomination races, and leadership campaigns. I’ve knocked on doors in too many ridings to count and I’ll admit to sometimes mocking policy teams for overestimating the value of their platforms. As many […]
Angry crowds result in cancelled, disrupted Trudeau campaign events
The Liberal leader’s campaign picked up this weekend, after a short pause pre-punctuated with a rare event cancellation due to safety concerns over protesters plaguing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. But it didn’t go quietly. This most recent incident occurred on Aug. 29, during a Sunday stump speech intended to promote his party’s climate change policies in […]
O’Toole’s opioid crisis plan part of a ‘broader move’ to the left, says pollster
The Conservatives’ new plan to tackle Canada’s opioid crisis, treating it as a national health emergency to help those battling drug addiction, is evidence that the party is attempting to court more voters on the left, according to one pollster. “It seems to be part of a general attempt to open up a position much […]
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, […]
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 […]
Rising NDP support more of a ‘serious threat’ to a Liberal majority than Conservatives, say some pollsters
Rising support for the NDP in public opinion polls is more of a threat to a potential Liberal majority in the next election than the opposition Conservatives, say some pollsters. “Are they a serious threat to a Liberal majority? Yeah, absolutely,” said Ekos Research president Frank Graves in an interview with The Hill Times. “In […]
Homeless green voters are an election wild card
CHELSEA, QUE.—While forests burn, glaciers melt, droughts threaten, and no end of climate disruption feeds an undercurrent of concern across the country, green-motivated voters can be forgiven for feeling confused and adrift. Their obvious home, the Green Party, has been imploding. Its senior ranks have been squabbling over Israel and Palestine, while its besieged leader, […]
NDP ad previews political fight for progressive votes, makes ‘compelling case,’ say digital experts
The NDP’s new advertisement contrasting leader Jagmeet Singh’s political record with that of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s is an effective appeal to progressive voters, according to two digital campaign experts. The 30-second advertisement compares Mr. Singh’s (Burnaby South, B.C.) policy positions over the course of the pandemic with that of Mr. Trudeau’s (Papineau, Que.), such […]
Money talks: Bloc’s fundraising may be cause for concern for Grits, Tories in Quebec
Politicos are gearing up for an impending election call with party leaders, incumbent MPs, and candidates already busy hitting the pavement, and Conservatives are heading into the likely election once again with the best-stocked war chest, having raised almost $6-million more than the Liberals in 2020. “Clearly, Conservatives have the advantage on better organization techniques […]
