Mulcair is vulnerable on critical issue of Canadian unity
It’s not a big mystery—that is, the moments when the New Democratic Party becomes vulnerable. We draw your attention, in this regard, to the NDP’s on-again, off-again relationship with the notion of a united Canada. It first manifested itself in 2005, when Tom Mulcair’s current party adopted what has become known as the Sherbrooke Declaration—in […]
Liberal Party’s decline can be traced to one cause: Stephen Harper
Twenty-five years ago last week, Jean Chrétien became the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. And Liberals really haven’t been happy since. Well, they were happy during Chrétien’s era, of course. He eliminated the deficit, he said no to war in Iraq, he passed the Clarity Act, he won three back-to-back majorities. Team Canada, […]
Taking stock of SWOT: how future events could impact campaigns
SWOT is an analysis technique consultants use to assess internal STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES—to a campaign, to a client, to a cause—and to evaluate external OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS. A SWOT analysis isn’t about a message—it’s about a thing, or a factor, that can help or hurt. It can be happening right now, or is something likely […]
Public tuning out media’s pious morality lectures
“The media does play a vital role in our democracy,” said economist Dave Brat. “And if we cannot depend on journalistic ethics, the nation’s in trouble.” Brat was talking about his own nation’s media, most likely. Given recent events—Brian Williams’ lies, the faked Rolling Stone university rape story, George Stephanopoulos’ secret donations to the Clinton […]
Three reasons why inquiry into extraordinary number of missing, murdered aboriginal women isn’t the answer
It happens so often, you can almost set your watch by it. Someone in Ottawa has a press conference, or asks a question in the House of Commons, or responds to an important bit of news. And, too often, they demand an inquiry or a royal commission or some sort of a judicial probe into […]
Election 2015 is the NDP’s to lose
TORONTO—Knowing the precise moment when New Democrat winners were transformed into New Democrat losers isn’t all that simple. Was it when first-place Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow—whose victory was considered inevitable by most—had yet another uninspiring debate performance, or couldn’t conjure up anything coherent to say about the city’s suffocating transit problems? Was it when […]
Weep for our media, times are bad
TORONTO—Fittingly, it took a small-town radio station to ask The Question. It came on Dave Glover’s drive-time show on CFWN in Northumberland. “What,” I was asked, “do you think about Postmedia’s purchase of the Sun Media newspaper chain?” “Thank you for asking that question,” I told Glover and his co-host. “As someone who […]
Conservative caucus may not have been as ‘morgue’-like as maladroit MacKay suggested
TORONTO—First things first: we now have conclusive proof Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi is not infallible. Nenshi, much-adored by progressives everywhere, predicted Alberta’s PCs would win a minority government. “I suspect the PCs will win,” said Nenshi. Um, no. They didn’t. It was in all the papers on Wednesday morning. In fairness, Nenshi wasn’t the only […]
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE FIGHT
The traditional marriage lobby intends to launch a “15-point lobbying campaign” this month costing “tens of thousands of dollars.” They will lobby MPs of all parties on the divisive issue of same-sex marriage, encouraging a vote to reopen the debate. “We will launch a campaign this fall. The campaign will kick into gear on Sept. […]
Canadians would rather have clean air than more puffers: Bennett
Carolyn Bennett was a backbencher under the Jean Chrétien government, and throughout her campaign for leadership of the Liberal party, she has presented herself as a seasoned, life-long Liberal without the baggage of a previous government tarnished by the image of scandal and waste. But it is a message the media has mostly ignored. Ms. […]
