This election, vote for a Parliament that will defend, reinvigorate democracy
When Oct. 22nd dawns, no matter which party wins, somewhere between 60 and 65 per cent of Canadians who voted will feel like they lost. And with voter turnout at an average of 63 per cent for the last five elections, likely another third of Canadians will not even have played the game. Newly elected […]
Unpromising ‘none-of-the-above’ campaign mercifully drawing to a close
OTTAWA—Over five or six weeks of campaigning, most federal elections clarify themselves, providing a narrative, a key issue, or a consensus that shapes and defines the outcome on voting day. In 1980, Canadians turned against Joe Clark and his government’s decision to bring in a hefty gasoline levy. The 1984 election reflected a desire for […]
The ballot as the ballot question
The first election campaign I spent on a plane was the first one in which I was eligible to vote. It was 1984 and I was the very junior, third press aide to Brian Mulroney. As baptisms by fire go, it was a slightly bumpy ride at the back of the plane, but the guy […]
Singh’s strong campaign an internal win, whatever the outcome, New Democrats say
Even if Jagmeet Singh takes the NDP to a smaller seat count than predecessor Tom Mulcair in 2015, New Democrats say the new leader’s strong campaign puts him on safe footing as leader “as long as he wants to be.” Grumblings about the party’s path under his leadership—lacklustre fundraising, a reduced bench as a third […]
Transition teams must be prepared for ‘unpredictable outcomes’ in minority situation, say former senior bureaucrats
Former senior bureaucrats say they hope Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s transition team is “already plugged into the Privy Council Office,” and that both the Liberal and Conservative transition teams should be “prepared for unpredictable outcomes” at this point in the campaign. According to CBC’s poll tracker, updated on Oct. 14, the Conservatives were in the […]
What’s your issue? Taxes, climate change, health care top leaders’ campaign pitches this election
With less than a week to go until Oct. 21, there’s been plenty of lamenting over the issues that aren’t being talked about this campaign. So, what have the leaders spent their time spotlighting? And what issues have media definitively brought to the fore? The Hill Times took a look at the issues raised by or with […]
If you can’t decide between the leaders in this election, vote for your local candidate
OTTAWA—When I went to university in the 1970s, we relied on one key textbook for our fundamental political wisdom: The Canadian Political System, by Carleton professors Michael Whittington and Richard Van Loon. In its pages, one could find an enduring truth of the way Canadians made their choices in federal elections: 40 per cent voted […]
It’s almost over—for now
As the election campaign winds down, Canadians are likely breathing a sigh of relief to have it all be done with. And that sigh isn’t just relief at the conclusion of a 40-day sprint, but also one loaded with exhaustion over the tone and tenor of the whole affair. As Abbas Rana reported in the […]
Mechanistic politics, on display this election, are wearing people down
OTTAWA—So, we have come through the Thanksgiving weekend. Has the Canadian political landscape changed as a consequence of all those conversations people were predicting were going to happen during the holiday? First of all, I find it kind of comical to afford such influence to something as traditional and Euro-centric as the Thanksgiving dinner. Don’t […]
A presidential endorsement: Raptors boss Masai Ujiri backs Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has the support of the man who led the Toronto Raptors to the first-ever NBA championship win by a team from north of the border. “I continue to support Prime Minister Trudeau now and when he is prime minister again,” Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri said during an Oct. 13 Thanksgiving […]
