Closing in on party totals, Poilievre leadership win would put Tory fundraising juggernaut ‘on steroids,’ says Powers
The Conservative Party’s fundraising juggernaut continues to pull ahead of its main political rivals—raising more money than the Liberals and NDP combined for the past two quarters—and strategists say the numbers from the party’s leadership contest suggest that a win by MP Pierre Poilievre would be like a shot of “steroids” for the Tory apparatus. […]
Future Conservative Party unity hangs on post-victory leadership approach
OTTAWA—In recent days, as the Conservative leadership contest draws to a close, more is being written and said about the need for Conservatives to be unified post race. Those are natural, normal, and smart calls to make. Teams, political or otherwise, don’t win unless they have a working chemistry and buy into a collective game […]
Enough is enough: Hockey Canada scandals another reminder big changes needed to end sexual violence
Once again, Canada’s lack of leadership in combating sexual violence and harassment has taken centre stage. This time, it comes with shocking revelations involving Hockey Canada. Reports confirm the iconic organization had become so ensnared in a culture of sexual misconduct that it created a slush fund to settle claims of wrongdoing. Despite scandal after scandal, there […]
Cost of war in Ukraine is rising, and Canada missed a key opportunity to stymie Russia’s tap
OTTAWA—On Aug. 4, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand held a press conference in Toronto wherein she announced that the Canadian military would resume training Ukrainian soldiers. In September 2015, Canada began deploying combat instructors to Ukraine as part of Operation Unifier. Since then, it is estimated that Canada has trained more than 33,000 Ukraine […]
New manager of advertising hired for Trudeau’s office
There’s a new manager of advertising in place in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office, with Darrell Dean having stepped into the role last week. Together with the PMO’s new manager of research, Hilary Martin, who was hired last month, they replace former senior manager of research and advertising Alex Kohut, who left the office at […]
Now is the time for a Doctrine of Recovery
I don’t know if my voice was heard around the world, but Pope Francis certainly heard it in Maskwacîs at the outset of his “pilgrimage of redemption.” At the conclusion of the Pope’s now customary incomplete apology for the Catholic Church’s culpability for atrocities committed in its name at residential schools, I stepped forward to […]
Charest stands best chance of defeating Liberals, but a Poilievre win is feasible
OTTAWA—Jean Charest was at his most eloquent during the recent Conservative debate last week. The only problem, the lights were on, but there was no Tory home. The debate did not attract major television attention and was held at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, pretty much the worst possible slot for widespread coverage. But the whole […]
‘Who’s who’ on the Conservative leadership campaign teams
Team Pierre Poilievre Veteran Conservative strategist Jenni Byrne is a senior adviser on Poilievre’s campaign team. Byrne, who previously served as an adviser to former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, also founded her own public affairs consultancy firm, Jenni Byrne + Associates, which has been active since February 2020. Jeremy Liedtke serves as Poilievre’s campaign […]
Conservative MPs unsure ‘which Poilievre they will get’ as party leader if he wins leadership
If Pierre Poilievre wins the leadership on Sept. 10, Conservative MPs are unsure if they will get a leader who will moderate his views and make a sincere effort to bring the party together, or one who will “double down” on his campaign rhetoric and his hard-hitting leadership style, say some Conservative MPs and senior […]
Federal fight against climate change stops at the oil patch
CHELSEA, QUE.—Is there anyone in Canada—anyone?—who believes that Justin Trudeau’s government is serious about tackling climate change? It seems unlikely, given the ongoing failure to contain emissions from Alberta’s oil patch, the single largest domestic source of the greenhouse gases that are damaging our planet. That failure continues as oil companies amass record-breaking profits, while […]
