Election platform release a ‘pass/fail’ exercise with little reward for expedience, say politicos

Parties must weigh the optimal time to capture voters’ attention with the potential pitfalls caused by even minor errors when deciding on platform-release dates.
NDP has a familiar team fighting to keep its presence in the House

‘For the NDP, the battle of this campaign is going to be fought in their incumbent ridings,’ and target ridings, says strategist Jordan Leichnitz.
Q&A | Unpacking the ‘astonishing’ swing in federal polls with Frank Graves

‘The stakes are very high’ this election says Ekos Research’s Frank Graves, and voter ‘emotions are very important’ in driving how campaigns take shape.
Despite dip in polls, Conservative path to victory remains possible, say political players

If the Conservatives hope to win the next election, they’ll need to address Trump’s tariffs alongside the cost of living, says pollster Nik Nanos. ‘If he can come down with that extra punch, he can win the election.’
Carney grasps a key point that Poilievre has missed in the trade war

It can never be politics as usual again with the United States. Mark Carney has talked about the political imperative that this new and totally unexpected truth poses for this country.
Poilievre: the biggest gatekeeper of them all

If the Conservative leader wants the country’s top political job, he’s going to have to start talking more to the national media and answering questions.
The theatre of leaders’ debates

The election debates we see on TV nowadays are little more than political leaders going on a stage to express carefully crafted talking points and mini speeches. In short, it’s less like an intellectual debate and more like political theatre. So buckle up, it’s showtime.
If gap narrows, number of seats with a margin of less than 1,000 votes could decide the election

We are at the halfway point in the election, but much could happen in the yin and the yang of the campaign.
Canadian International Council co-hosts conference on ‘Liberal democracy in the rearview mirror?’ April 15 in Toronto

TUESDAY, APRIL 15 Conference: ‘Liberal Democracy in the Rearview Mirror?’—Massey College, Section 1, and the Canadian International Council host a day-long conference on ‘Liberal Democracy in the Rearview Mirror?’ exploring the state of and prospects for liberal constitutionalism at home and in the world. Participants include former German ambassador to Canada Sabine Sparwasser, Canadian political scientist Thomas Homer-Dixon, and […]
Carney’s driving Grits’ momentum, but polls suggest Tories hold upper hand in ‘commitment gap’

Angus Reid’s poll released last week found that 46 per cent of respondents planned to vote Liberal and 36 per cent planned to vote Conservative. But that 10-point spread is reversed for committed voters, and Shachi Kurl said the challenge for the Liberals is to ensure that voting intention becomes a reality.