Ontario and Quebec the keys to Tory gains
OTTAWA—Polls have been in the news a lot lately, and not just because of their horse race numbers. Valid criticisms from the likes of Allan Gregg concerning polling methodology and the way in which polls are reported on in the media have been met by reasonable ripostes from the likes of John Wright, Darrell Bricker, […]
Will the elimination of the political subsidies lead to a two-party system? Not likely
Re: “Harper’s plan to scrap per-vote subsidies to political parties would create a two-party state, says Nanos,” (The Hill Times online, Feb. 7). The article suggested that the elimination of the quarterly allowances paid to Canadian political parties would lead to a two-party system. The reasoning, on the surface, may seem logical but a quick […]
Election ready, but election willing?
Election speculation is rife on Parliament Hill. The Liberals seem ready to vote against the budget come what may, the Bloc Québécois has presented a list of demands that the Conservatives almost certainly will not meet, and the Tories have been in pre-campaign mode for weeks now. But unless the Prime Minister dissolves Parliament himself, […]
Prime Minister Harper’s Conservatives extend their lead, for now
OTTAWA—After eight months of political monotony and a rock solid five-point Conservative lead, recently several polling firms have given us something completely different to consider over the holidays: have the Tories rebuilt the 11-point lead that almost won them a majority government in 2008? Only four weeks ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives were leading […]
PM picked as most valuable politician in 2010, survey says
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who dazzled Cabinet ministers, MPs, Senators and staffers last Wednesday night in Ottawa when he held an impromptu rock concert for the Tories' Christmas party, was voted the year's most valuable politician, according to this year's 14th All Politics Poll: The Best and Worst of Politics in 2010. Mr. Harper (Calgary-Southwest, […]
Ethical oil or an environmental disaster? Neither, it’s about the economy, stupid
OTTAWA—We have all heard stories about the environmental disaster that is the Alberta oil sands: the toxic tailing ponds, killed flocks of ducks, and massive amounts of greenhouse gases. We have also been told that the oil sands represent the greatest industrial and economic benefit to Canada in a generation: a vast, valuable, and Canadian […]
Death, taxes, and a five-point Conservative lead
While Canadian politics can be unpredictable, there is one thing that has lately been certain to remain the same: polls. The voting intentions of Canadians have been immovable over the last eight months. Averaging out the polling data on a month-to-month basis shows two parallel and virtually straight lines for the Conservatives and Liberals stretching […]
Candidate quality matters: political experience leads to better results
Two weeks ago, The Hill Times reported on Conservative Party efforts to focus hard on “flipping” close ridings in the next federal election. More recently, former Toronto police chief and OPP commissioner Julian Fantino announced that he is running to be the Conservative candidate in Vaughan, Ont., for the unannounced by-election to replace Maurizo Bevilacqua. […]
The Hill Times 13th Annual All Politics Poll
From a Beatles-singing Prime Minister, to political flyers accusing a Jewish MP of being an anti-Semite, from blue "Economic Action Plan" signs popping up all across the land, to a world-renowned intellectual who turned out to be a bit of a dud, 2009 was a weird year in Canadian federal politics. The Hill Times 13th […]
