Party leaders’ campaign stops, so far
An overview of where the four party leaders have been travelling since the election was called on Sept. 11.
Tight contest between Liberals, Conservatives, lower voter turnout could benefit third parties, experts say
With the Liberals and the Conservatives deadlocked in the polls, and the country potentially headed for a minority-government situation, some political analysts anticipate more malleable voters may feel less compelled to choose either of the frontrunners. High turnout in the 2015 election was a boon for the Liberals, who ascended to form a majority after […]
Trudeau’s Liberals outpacing Scheer’s Conservatives in Facebook ad spending
Liberals have spent about $1-million on Facebook ads so far in the election campaign, deploying more funds than the Conservatives and the NDP combined, according to a new study published Thursday. The Conservative Party spent roughly $640,000 on Facebook between when the election was called on Sept. 11 and Oct. 4, running fewer candidate-focused campaigns […]
The Arctic is being overlooked in this election
The silence is deafening. Unless you live in the Arctic, as I do, you probably haven’t heard anything about the region that makes up more than half of Canada’s territory. That’s frustrating, given the attention the Arctic received before the election was called when the Government of Canada made a number of announcements and released […]
Election 2019: Revving up the base in the divisive post-truth era
OTTAWA—It’s obvious to everyone how populism south of the border, in the United Kingdom, and much of western Europe has thrived in the post-truth era. U.S. President Donald Trump’s ability to twist information and pour out torrents of lies has changed reality in the U.S., where the lifeblood of political discourse often no longer has […]
Tossed Tory candidate ‘changes everything,’ with two-way fight shaping up in Burnaby North-Seymour
A key battleground B.C. riding has become a two-way race between Liberal incumbent Terry Beech and a former NDP MP mounting a comeback, after “appalling” homophobic comments from the beleaguered Conservative candidate finally got her booted from the party’s slate last week. With the nomination deadline now past, Heather Leung’s removal as candidate has left […]
NDP looking to capitalize on Singh swing to make federal breakthrough in Brampton East
BRAMPTON, ONT.—New Democrats in a Toronto-adjacent riding are hoping that their hometown political superstars will help to translate provincial gains into a federal breakthrough Brampton East, Ont., along with the four other federal ridings that make up the city of Brampton, went Liberal in 2015. Incumbent Raj Grewal won with 52 per cent of the […]
Pick a lane: lessons from the first debates commission showdown
OTTAWA—Like all things Canadian, the intent of the Leaders’ Debates Commission for its first-ever national leaders’ debate in English was good, but the outcome was poor, for both viewers and participants. The commission tried to do too much and please everyone. You are always destined to struggle if your goal is to placate as many […]
Senate’s mishandling of sexual misconduct scandal is a national disgrace
Institutional betrayal is one of those things that, to paraphrase a famed American jurist, is hard to describe in theory, but easy to recognize on observation. Right now, the Senate of Canada has institutional betrayal written all over it. Its journey down this ignominious path began when it took an inexcusably long time to act […]
Parties running out of time to firm up ‘piecemeal’ seniors platforms, say advocates
Parties are offering “piecemeal” solutions on seniors’ issues, say advocates, with the National Association of Federal Retirees urging campaigns to release their full platforms as advance polls open and seniors—the group most likely to use early voting opportunities—head to the ballots without all the information they need. The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) and […]
