Attack campaign on federal Grits spews ‘beer and popcorn’
It’s kind of like hockey. You want the puck to be in the other team’s zone because a good offence is the best defence, explained communications specialist Andre Lafrance. “The choice of the [Liberal] communications team, is to be that of a young party in an attack mode,”said Mr. Lafrance, a professor at Universite de […]
Canada could learn from Iraq elections: author O’Leary [The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq]
Canada stands to learn from the elections in Iraq to apply to its own democracy, explained author and political science professor Brandan O’Leary last week. Speaking at a reception launching his new book, The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq, he explained that Iraq’s mixed proportional representation system might even be more efficient than Canada’s since […]
The ying and the yang of association lobbyists: ‘When you’re everything, you’re nothing’
Every job has its upside and downside, including being an association lobbyist. “When you’re everything, you’re nothing.” These words, from a disillusioned association lobbyist, speak to one aspect of this job: lobbying on behalf of many diverse members. Often, this means the GR message is so broad it’s often ineffective. When they lobby, associations find […]
Swing ridings across Canada
Swing ridings: winning candidate won with a slim margin of victory. The ridings are heavily targeted by the runner-up. Winning party is shown in the parentheses. Up to 30 are shown, with a maximum margin of victory of 15%. * Indicates incumbent not running again Liberal Targeted Swing Ridings: 1. Simcoe-Grey, Ont. (Cons.) 0.2% 2. […]
Liberal stronghold up for grabs: Tories banking on former Harris Cabinet minister to win in Ottawa West-Nepean
Ottawa West-Nepean has been a Liberal stronghold since 1988 and candidate Lee Farnworth wants to keep it that way. Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan lent Ms. Farnworth some help last week when she was in town visiting the Pinecrest Queensway Health and Community Services Centre. Liberal incumbent Marlene Catterall, who announced her retirement earlier this […]
PARLIAMENTARY CALENDAR: Ottawa West Nepean candidates will be at National Press Club on Jan. 11 to debate and to discuss policies
MONDAY, DEC. 26 Deck the Halls- From Dec. 26-30 between 4:30 and 8:30 p.m., in addition to the House of Commons’ daily guided tours, visitors are invited to see Parliament Buildings in the evening and stroll at their own pace through the halls of the Centre Block, decorated in their festive splendor.Visitors can also take […]
Political reporters schlepping it across the country on campaign
Long days, early days, lots of cold sandwiches. That’s part of the life of a reporter whose news organizations pay $9,000 per week per person to follow the leaders of the federal political parties during this election campaign. In one day, the entourage of reporters, camera crew, political staffers and candidates can go from one […]
Liberals can lead in the ethnic vote if they choose
So how do the Liberals hold on to this core? The answer most likely lies in three things: vision, people and policies. Diverse countries are not easy to run. The only poll on the ethnic vote so far in this election revealed that the Liberals were losing their allure among minorities, although they still remained […]
Tory turns red over leadership
Tory leadership race? The campaign has hardly begun, and once again there are Tories in Quebec who are looking to replace their leader. Meeting with the Conservative candidate in Mansfield Lawrence Cannon, some locals joked that they wanted him to win in Pontiac riding so that he could take a run at the party leadership. […]
Candidates campaign for more civil servants in Quebec: Proulx warns sovereigntists would move Outaouais jobs to Montreal and Quebec City
But the Bloc is not able to say what would happen to existing or new public sector jobs in the Outaouais region, if Quebecers voted for sovereignty. Taking election promises at face value, some federal civil servants who work on the Ontario side of the National Capital Region might soon wind up seeing their workplace […]
