What a difference two months make

Had Donald Trump not weighed in with his threat to annex Canada, and had Justin Trudeau decided to remain and fight this election, the outcome would definitely be quite different.
Tackling Trump or offering change: competing priorities to determine this election

Polling last week showed the Conservatives led among those who saw a change in direction as the key election issue, but Abacus Data’s David Coletto said the Liberals held a far greater advantage among those who wanted action on the U.S. president’s threats.
Election ads: from Conservatives’ ‘dark,’ ‘dramatic’ approach to Liberal and NDP’s ‘classic’ and ‘tried and true’

Election Day is April 28. To sway voters, the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP have released ads ranging from ‘classic’ to ‘cringe-worthy,’ according to digital communication experts.
Political players predict Carney to win, but questions linger about minority or majority outcome

Stephen Carter called the Liberal lead in the polls ‘a comeback for the ages,’ and Jaime Watt said if the Liberals don’t win, ‘the pollsters will need to go out of business.’
If party platforms come after advance voting and leaders’ debates, are they still relevant?

The policy documents don’t ‘move the needle’ for voters and offer ‘a really big target for opponents,’ so they may be on their way out, say strategists.
Parties’ housing platforms unlikely to significantly improve affordability: experts

Policy incentives, increasing supply, and cutting GST all fail to address the core issue of housing affordability—municipal governments
Carleton remains a stronghold for Poilievre, but with some uncertainty from changed boundaries, says strategist

A record 91 candidates running for the seat in Carleton is unlikely to change the outcome of the vote, with Poilievre likely to win, says Scott Bennett, associate professor at Carleton University.
Cracks in conservative solidarity could spell trouble for Poilievre

With the Conservatives now trailing the Liberals in the polls, some outside the Poilievre team’s inner circle have smelt blood in the water and are publicly providing their own takes on the future of the party, and conservatism in Canada.
‘This is a national election inside a local riding,’ says Fanjoy in his bid to oust Poilievre in Carleton

Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy is running against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre who has a national profile as both party leader and a potential prime minister. Fanjoy’s answer has been old-fashioned hard work, based on the notion that all politics is local.
Poilievre’s backseat drivers

It’s easy to say things like a campaign should change its messaging or alter its tone, but to do this during an election campaign requires a lot of work and skill and money, since it means writing and cutting new ads then quickly getting them into the mix.