Canada Election Analysis

Stay informed about the issues, strategies and tactics in the 2015 Canadian Federal election, set for 19 October 2015.

7 October 2015

Saudi deal for ‘transport vehicles’, not arms, says Harper (David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen, 6 Oct 2015)

This might be Stephen Harper’s biggest campaign lie so far: that the massive $15 billion dollar arms deal over ten years to the Saudi Royal family is not actually an arms deal at all but the sale of “transport vehicles”.

Well the truth is that these massive armoured personnel carriers come loaded with a huge array of weaponry including 25mm cannons or a 90mm gun. Other versions carry 120mm mortars. These are fighting vehicles that it seems clear are being purchased to protect the Saudi royals from their own people, which is why they insisted the details be kept secret.

In March 2011, Saudi Arabia used Canadian-made LAV’s to help suppress peaceful demonstrations in Bahrain. That was a game changer, making further exports to Saudi Arabia of this equipment clearly and unequivocally in violation of Canada’s long standing export control policy which expressly prohibits military exports unless there is no reasonable risk that they will be used against the civilian population.

Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s worst human rights abusers, and now stands accused of war crimes in Yemen, due to its indiscriminate targeting of civilians in air strikes by the coalition that it leads. It is also accused of repeatedly using internationally banned cluster munitions in these bombings.

Stephen Harper must be feeling the heat now that his so-called “principled” foreign policy is once more exposed as utter hypocrisy. So he has resorted to lying about the deal.

Click on the photo below for the full story.

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For further background see also the series of articles by Steven Chase in the Globe and Mail on the arms deal, including the astonishing information that it is not a private deal between General Dynamics and the Saudis, as the Harper government repeatedly claimed, but a deal where a crown agency, Canada Commercial Corporation is the prime contractor.

28 September 2015

How the Harper Tories might cling to government with a minority

In a truly nightmarish scenario, Bill Tieleman writing in today’s Tyee, outlines how the Harper government can stay in power with a minority government by not calling Parliament back for many months. See “Why Tories Don’t Need a Majority to Keep Power in 2016, and Beyond” (The Tyee.ca, 29 September 2015).

The only solution is to ensure that the Harpocrits do NOT get the most seats.

With respect to the term “Harpocrit”, consider the names of the following pieces of legislation: The Accountability Act (which promotes the opposite), The Fair Elections Act (about as unfair as one can imagine) and now the Strengthening of Citizenship Act, which a plethora of experts say does the opposite.

For the full Tieleman article, click on the image below.

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How the Senate might cooperate with an NDP government

Writing for The Hill Times, Abbas Rana highlights that up to 30 Senators would be willing to work with the NDP government to pass legislation should the party win the October 19th federal election. “Liberal Sen. Campbell says he, 30 Senators willing to work with Mulcair if NDP wins race” (The Hill Times, 28 September 2015).

Despite the NDP’s position on abolishing the Senate, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said some Senators have approached the NDP with the offer to help the party pass legislation in the Upper Chamber if it forms the next government.

For the full article, click on the image below.
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Image credit: Senate of Canada

 

17 September 2015

Writing for, The Atlantic, Parker Donham responds to recent defenders of Stephen Harper with a concise reminder of the PM’s dubious track record. Donham recites many of Harper’s shortcomings including election fraud-related scandals, Canada’s abysmal record on climate change and discriminatory voting-ID regulations. “The Case Against Stephen Harper” (The Atlantic, 11 September 2015)

He wryly points out that, the only “difficulty of explaining Harper’s horribleness” involves deciding which of his retrograde policies and postures to leave off an ever-lengthening list of grievances.”

For the full article, click on the image below.

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Image credit: Michael de Adder

16 September 2015

The big lie revealed

While on the campaign trail Prime Minister Harper boasted that “Canada is the largest per capita receiver of new immigrants in the entire world.” More recently he said that Canada is “the largest per capita refugee receiver in the world” and “the largest resettler of refugees per capita in the world by far.”

Anna Mehler Paperny and James Armstrong in “Reality check: Harper boasts about Canada’s record on refugees, but gets some things wrong” (Global News, 4 September 2015) and Daniel Schwhartz in “Canada’s refugee acceptance falls far short of Stephen Harper’s claims” (CBC News, 10 September, 2015) bring some much overdue clarity regarding Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s claims.

Not to put too fine a point on it, they bring to light the false and misleading nature of all three of these statements.

(1)   Canada accepted roughly 250,000 immigrants in 2012, a significant number but less overall, and less per capita than Germany which took in 965,000, according to the OECD.

(2)   As for refugees, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) tells us that Lebanon is actually the largest per capita receiver of new refugees. Canada is tied for 41st place. Let us repeat that. Canada is tied for 41st place, behind not only Lebanon but Sweden and Malta.

(3)   Now we turn to Harper’s claims about “resettled refugees”. Not only is Canada not the largest resettler of refugees per capita by far, as Harper said, it is not even the largest resettler of refugees per capita. For that honour, Harper should be praising Australia, which admitted 49 resettled refugees per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with 35 by Canada.  However, in both cases these numbers amount to less than 1% of the world’s overall refugee population, because the category of “resettled refugees” is itself a tiny fraction of the total number of refugees.

Let’s all do our part to counter these misleading statements that Stephen Harper repeats endlessly on the campaign trail

There is no link with the image below. It stands on its own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 September 2015

Writing in The Tyee yesterday, Nick Fillmore says that efforts to battle voter suppression by helping people register to vote are — so far — small and poorly coordinated. Campaigns to encourage strategic voting by those opposed to the Conservatives face the same problems. “Strategic Voting Campaigns Should Be More, Well, Strategic” (The Tyee.ca, 8 Sept 2015).

A national coordinating committee could give all the groups the profile needed to raise the several million dollars needed for a national campaign to encourage voting. A similar coordinated effort could promote strategic voting to support whichever candidate appears to have the best chance of defeating Conservatives in ridings where they are vulnerable.

If the two-part campaigning works, it will be one of the main reasons why Canadians will wake up to a new government on Oct. 20.”

For the full article, click on the photo below.

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Image Credit: Greg Perry

 

3 September 2015

Refugee and human rights advocates are urging the federal government to lift obstacles to speedy family reunification in order to help Syrian refugees with relatives in Canada, writes Jim Bronskill of the Canadian Press. “Canada failed fleeing Syrian boys, refugee group says” (iPolitics.ca, 3 Sept 2015).

The call to do more comes amid shock and outrage after two young Syrian boys and their mother — who apparently wanted to join family in Canada — drowned off the coast of Turkey.

For the full article, click on the image below.

ADDITION Turkey Migrants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And for further analysis of the policies of the Harper government and Opposition parties on the urgent issue of Syrian refugee assistance, see “Chris Alexander pauses his election campaign in wake of refugee crisis”, (CBC News, 3 Sept 2015).

1 September

Just when Stephen Harper was getting a reprieve from daily questions about Senator Mike Duffy’s case, a new media report that Senator Pamela Wallin’s file has been handed to the Crown is renewing focus on the Senate expenses scandal. “Pamela Wallin case prompts more unwelcome questions for Stephen Harper”, (Mark, Gollom, CBC News, 1 Sept, 2015).

Back in Feb. 13, 2013, standing in the House of Commons, Harper had defended Wallin’s Senate expense claims, saying he had looked at the numbers and that her costs were comparable with any parliamentarian travelling from her area of the country.

Of course he is singing a different tune now.

Click on the image below for the full article.

 

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31 August

Andrew Nikiforuk, writing for The Tyee, addresses the controversial language, coined as “Newspeak” by George Orwell, used by the Harper Conservatives to push through contentious legislation such as Bill C-51 and more. (“Harper’s Newspeak”, The Tyee, 31 August 2015). In a 2012 essay written by Allan Gregg, the former Tory pollster denounced the use of such language. (“1984 in 2012 – The Assault on Reason”, Allan Gregg, 5 September 2012).

Click on the image below for the full article:

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To read the full essay written by Allan Gregg, Click here: (“1984 in 2012 – The Assault on Reason”, Allan Clegg, 5 September 2012).
Rachel Aiello and Abbas Rana, writing for The Hill Times, discuss the lack of “star candidates”  running for the Conservative party and the message it sends to the electorate. (“With several key Cabinet ministers not running, Conservative slate of candidates lacks star power”, The Hill Times, 31 August 2015).

Click on the image below for the full article:

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28 August

Frank Graves, writing for iPolitics, draws on data from two separate surveys to provide us with an analysis of events that have led to the relentless drop in support for the Conservatives in this election campaign. (EKOS poll: Duffy trial awakens slumbering electorate, iPolitics, 28 August 2015).

”All in all, the Conservatives seem to be sitting on an inventory of gloom: the Duffy affair, Mr. Harper’s sagging approval ratings, abysmal ratings on direction of country and government, and a downright lousy economic outlook.”

Click on the image below for the full article:

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27 August

Tim Naumetz, writing for The Hill Times, reports that if the latest polling is right, then Canadian voters are showing increasing sophistication in the wake of the Harper Conservatives blizzard of vote-buying manoeuvres. (“Canadians believe ‘Life Means Life’ Act an election ploy: pollThe Hill Times, 26 August 2015).

More than half of Canadian electors agree the “Life Means Life” legislation Prime Minister Stephen Harper resurrected as a campaign plank last week—after the government left it to languish in the Commons for three months before Parliament adjourned last June—is an election ploy intended to play on voter fears, a Forum Research poll suggests.

Click on the image below for the full story:

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Image credit: Flickr

26 August 2015

L. Ian MacDonald, writing for iPolitics, describes the shortfalls of the Conservative election campaign despite it not being Harper’s first rodeo. (“It’s not your first election, Mr. Harper. Why are you screwing it up?”, iPolitics, 25 August 2015)

“Stephen Harper has been off-message since the start of the campaign. And the Conservative campaign team has been screwing up on a regular basis, stepping on the leader’s message.

Click on the image below for the full story:

GOOD TO GO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katie Hyslop, writing for The Tyee, examines why the October vote will be one of the most crucial elections that First Nations will ever face. (“Rallying the vote, on and off the reserve,” The Tyee, 26 August 2015).

The Assembly of First Nations has named 51 ridings where Indigenous voters could make a big difference in the upcoming election. Additionally, volunteer-led voting information groups like Rally the First Nations Vote will put the politicians on notice that First Nations people are organizing, and are going to vote as a block for the one party that best represents their treaty, charter and inherent rights in Parliament.

Click on the image below for the full story

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Image credit: First Nations protest in advance of the G20 conference in Toronto., Flickr

25 August 2015

Alan Freeman, writing for iPolitics, examines Stephen Harper’s inability to listen to anyone but himself. (“Speaking truth to power … when power isn’t listening,” iPolitics, 24 August 2015).

What’s truly remarkable about Stephen Harper’s one-man rule of Canada is that he really does seem to believe he is the ultimate autodidact — a master of all aspects of government policy, no matter how complex or obscure. He has experts on staff but, you see, he doesn’t really need them. And he can dispense with their advice when it becomes inconvenient.

Click on the image below for the full story:

A one man band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: One Mand Band, Pixar

24 August 2015

Abbas Rana, writing for The Hill Times, discusses the impact of the Duffy trial on the Conservative election campaign as the third phase of the trial comes to a close. September 8, 2015 will mark the beginning of the Bruce Carson trial, which has the former senior PMO official facing charges of influence peddling and improper lobbying. As the Conservative government’s ethics continue to be under fire, it is no surprise that these allegations are benefitting the opposition parties. (“With Bruce Carson’s trial to start on Sept. 8, Conservative get no relief on ethical issues,” The Hill Times, 24 August 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Ben Carniol, Professor Emeritus at Ryerson University writing for the Toronto Star, comments on how Stephen Harper is out of touch with Jewish values. Notions of preservation of the environment and social justice are all absent from his campaign promises, at a time when Canada desperately needs both on the agenda. (“Stephen Harper is out of step with Jewish values,” The Toronto Star, 23 August 2015).

 To win votes from the Jewish community in this election, Stephen Harper is hiding how his right-wing ideology and attitudes are out of step with Jewish values.

Click on the image below for the full story:

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: Stephen Harper, Flickr

23 August 2015

For a thoughtful critique of polling techniques and the problem with “horse race” instead of issues polling, seeHere come the polls again: What to make of election surveys, (Giuseppe Valiante iPolitics.ca, 22 August, 2015).

Click on the image for the full article:

Polling

Image credit: Steve Nease

21 August 2015

A new survey financed by the activist group Leadnow has found that Conservative party support in 13 swing ridings across Canada has dropped significantly — and provides polling data for residents who want to vote strategically in those competitive constituencies to defeat the local Tory candidate. (Doug Ward, “Tories in Trouble in Three BC Battlegrounds: Poll” (The Tyee, 21 August 2015).

Click on the image below for the full article:

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20 August 2015

Two new books on the Conservative Government’s Disastrous Economic Policies

Former Parliamentary Budgetary Officer Kevin Page has left a significant footprint in the capital in his role as an authoritative gadfly on Stephen Harper’s economic policies and legislative tactics.

Now, just in time for campaign season, Page and a number of prominent leftist voices, including American consumer advocate and occasional presidential candidate Ralph Nader, are taking aim at Harper’s legacy in the 400-page book “Canada After Harper,” which lands online and in bookstores Aug. 24.

Page also has a forthcoming book called “Unaccountable: Truth, Lies and Numbers on Parliament Hill”, expected to come out mid-campaign, in which he details the political challenges and obstacles he and his team faced building a legislative budget office.

For the rest of the discussion of these two important books, see “Kevin Page and prominent critics take aim at Harper’s fiscal legacy”, ipolitics, 17 August 2015.

An in-depth interview with former Parliamentary Budget Officer, Kevin Page

Click on the image below for an in-depth interview with a true Canadian hero, Kevin Page, who eloquently makes the case for restoring faith in our democratic institutions.

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Image credit: Greg Perry

 

Paul Wells, writing for Maclean’s, provides us with some disturbing insights into the Harper Conservative ideology. (“Stephen Harper’s real problem goes beyond Mike Duffy”, Maclean’s, 19 August 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Image credit: Michael de Adder

17 August 2015

Fram Dinshaw, writing for the National Observer, catalogues the Conservative government’s play book for keeping journalists – and ultimately, the public – at bay. Tactics include limiting their access to meetings, restricting coverage to photo ops only and going as far as ejecting those who stray from an ‘acceptable’ line of questioning. (“Reporter’s ejection from Harper rally fits pattern of hostility to media,” National Observer, 16 August 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Image credit: Helodrgt, Creative Commons

15 August 2015

Stephen Harper, the prime minister of Canada, is creating a legacy of secrecy and ignorance.

This is the caption under the Reuters photo that accompanies a devastating New York Times critique of Harper’s governance over the past 10 years. (The Closing of the Canadian Mind, Stephen Marche, NYTimes Opinion, 14 August 2015).

Author Stephen Marche then opens his article with the astounding words – astounding because true but how can they be:

 The prime minister of Canada… has called an election for Oct.19, but he doesn’t want anyone to talk about it.

His stance has been a know-nothing conservatism, applied broadly and effectively. He has consistently limited the capacity of the public to understand what its government is doing, cloaking himself and his Conservative Party in an entitled secrecy, and the country in ignorance.”

But the article, as devastating as it is, does not even scratch the surface of the damage that Stephen Harper has done to our democratic institutions, catalogued mercilessly and meticulously in books like Mel Hurtig’s The Arrogant Autocrat: Stephen Harper’s Takeover of Canada and Mark Bourrie’s Kill The Messengers: Stephen Harper’s Assault on Your Right to Know.

For the full article, click on the image.

muzzled

Image credit, Brianjmatis, Flickr

 

13 August 2015

According to the Toronto Star editorial board, Stephen Harper’s sudden concern for Syrian refugees reflects the political heat the Tories have been getting for their feeble response to the worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory. (“Harper’s sudden concern for Syrian refugees is electoral pandering: Editorial”, Toronto Star 11 August, 2015)

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Image credit: ABC news

12 August 2015

Éric Grenier, writing for CBC News, discusses the challenges Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are facing due to approximately one-fifth of former sitting Members of Parliament not seeking re-election on October 19, 2015 (“Analysis: Conservatives stand to suffer most from lack of incumbents“, CBC News, 12 August 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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“Hello? … anyone?…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: Stephen Harper Facebook

11 August 2015

In the words of today’s Toronto Star editorial, Stephen Harper’s vow to crack down on “terror tourism” is little more than a cynical bid to change the channel away from the faltering economy and Tory ethics scandals. But the opposition leaders are not falling for yet another Harper election “gimmick”. (“Harper hits cynical low with vow to end ‘terror tourism’: Editorial,” The Toronto Star, 11 August 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

 

 

 

 

Image credit: John Woods, The Canadian Press

Doug Ward, writing in The Tyee.ca, reports on how savvy civil society organizations like Leadnow are working to give the electorate the tools they need to vote strategically. Using polling data and grassroots engagement, they aim to help voters cast their ballot for the candidate who is most likely to defeat the Conservative nominee. (“How Leadnow Will Push Strategic Voting to Defeat Tories,” The Tyee.ca, 11 August 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

A sample ballot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: Elections Canada

For more information on Leadnow, click the image below:

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10 August 2015

Ralph Surette, writing for Halifax’s Chronicle Herald, contends that Prime Minister Harper is relying on distracted voters to capture another term in office. With the dismantling of watchdog bodies and a move away from evidence-based policy-making, Harper has eroded the country’s foundational institutions (“SURETTE: Harper banks on the distracted to pursue destructive spree,” The Chronicle Herald, 8 August 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

 Dismantling Democracy

Image credit: Tina Matei, Voices-Voix

As Campbell Clark reminds us in The Globe and Mail, Wednesday is the day that Nigel Wright, former PMO Chief of Staff, testifies in suspended Senator Mike Duffy’s criminal trial, resuming after an 8-week adjournment. During a tight three-way election campaign, the one thing Conservatives do not want to air is their dirty laundry. (“Nigel Wright’s testimony represents a lose-lose scenario for Harper, “The Globe and Mail, 10 August 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Dark Clouds over Langevin Block (PMO)

 

Image credit: Vince Alongi, Creative Commons

Don Lenihan, Senior Associate for Policy and Engagement at Canada2020, writing for National Newswatch, explains how Harper’s reliance on public engagement is limited when it comes to governing. If public mistrust is engrained in a leader, can he expect the public to return the (mis)trust? (“Should you vote for a leader who doesn’t trust the public?National Newswatch, 10 August 2010).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

Stephen Harper James Grant

“Crocodile Smile”

Image credit: James Grant, Maclean’s Magazine

Peter Larson, Chair of the National Education Committee on Israel Palestine (NECIP), writing on his blog Canada Talks Israel-Palestine, comments about the federal leaders’ stances on Israel-Palestine during the Maclean’s Debate on 6 August. (“The leaders debate: Differences Emerge on Israel/Palestine,” Canada Talks Israel-Palestine, 9 August 2015)

Click on the image below to see the full article:

Palestinian and Israeli supporters during a protest in 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: Darren Calabrese, The Canadian Press

In what can only be described as a potentially explosive development, Glen McGregor of PostMedia news writes that an unintended consequence of the exceedingly long election campaign of 78 days is that MPs’ parliamentary privilege will expire during the writ period. (“Long election could scuttle Harper’s ability to claim privilege in Duffy trial testimony,” National Post, 5 August 2015).

Click on the image below for the full article:

New Picture

 

 

 

Image credit: Canadian Press

9 August 2015

We recommend the extraordinary effort by The Tyee.ca to document abuses of power by Stephen Harper that also encourages readers to send in further examples.

For a full list of the Harper government’s assaults on democracy and the law, click here:

Harper, Serial Abuser of Power: The Evidence Compiled (David Beers and Tyee Staff and Contributors, The Tyee.ca, 10 Aug 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Image credit: TITAN9389, Flickr

8 August 2015

If you thought there was a lot of truthiness flying around at the first debate of the election, you are not alone. Press Progress details seven of the biggest factual errors made by Stephen Harper at Thursday’s debate.

See the full article at: 7 Times Stephen Harper misled Canadians during the debate, (Press Progress, 8 August 2015).

Click the image below to go to the article:

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Image credit: Frederic Poirot, Flickr

7 August 2015

The first Canadian national leaders debate was held on August 6, 2015 at 8:00pm ET and was hosted by Paul Wells, Political Editor of Maclean’s.  The debate focused on the following categories: 1) Economy; 2) Energy and the Environment; 3) Canada’s Democracy; 4) Foreign Policy and Security. (Maclean’s National Leaders Debate 2015, Maclean’s, 6 August 2015)

Click on the image below to view the debate:

Federal Leaders debate

 

 

6 August 2015

Former CBC host, Evan Solomon, writing now for Maclean’s magazine, provides an inside look at each leader’s favourite tactics in an election that anyone can win. (“How the leaders hope to win this election”, Maclean’s Magazine, Aug 5, 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

Beaver
Image credit: Greg Perry (The Toronto Star)

 

4 August 2015

 As Campbell Clark writing for The Globe and Mail informs us, only 40 percent of voters have made their minds up on who to vote for come Election Day. While many Conservative supporters rarely have a second choice, the battle for 60 percent of votes will fall mostly on the Liberals and the NDP. (“Sixty percent of Canadians’ votes up for grabs, poll suggests,” The Globe and Mail, 3 August 2015)

 Click on the image below to see the full article:

Image credit: Jean Grandville, Fables de la Fontaine (La Fontaine’s Fables)

Today’s Guardian editorial (‘The Guardian view on Canada’s elections: is the Stephen Harper era over?‘, The Guardian, 4 August 2015) discusses the importance of the upcoming Canadian federal election and whether Canada will continue on the rightward course set by Stephen Harper.

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Adam Radwanski, writing for The Globe and Mail, details how Quebec is a battleground this election season. With the Liberals and the New Democrats battling it out in Montreal, the Conservatives are aiming to make advances in and around Quebec City, potentially determining the next government in Ottawa. (“The political enigma – and crucial battleground – that is Quebec,” The Globe and Mail, 4 August 2015)

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Image credit: Montreal Hotel de Ville, Alessandro Grussu, Flickr

2 August 2015

The economy is sagging, the loonie sinking, the Senate scandal reviving and Nanos polling shows growing support for regime change after 10 polarizing years of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.”

So says Don Meredith in his blog after the launching of the longest federal electoral contest since 1872.

For the full article see: Don Martin blog: the only advantage to the Conservatives is monetary, (CTV News 2 August, 2015).

1 August 2015

Stephen Harper ‘gaming the system’ with early election call, says former Elections Canada head, Jean-Pierre Kingsley in an interview on CBC radio.

For the full interview see CBC radio, The House, 1 August 2015.

31 July 2015

A new report from Canada’s largest private sector union says Stephen Harper and his Conservatives are running the most poorly performing economy the country has seen since the end of the Second World War. (“Unifor Report Slams Harper’s Economic Performance”, The Tyee.ca, 31 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

Greg Perry Canadian Economy

Image credit: Greg Perry

30 July 2015

Paul McLeod, writing for Buzzfeed Canada humorously analyzes a rare one-on-one interview of Stephen Harper with Bloomberg’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Theo Argitis (“Stephen Harper Refuses to Speculate On What Stephen Harper Will Do Next”, Buzzfeed Canada, 29 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Image credit: Michael de Adder

Charles Mandel, writing for The National Observer, highlights the NDP’s rising political fortunes and explains why a significant number of Canadians are tired of the current Conservative government  (“NDP on top as voters show ‘fatigue’ with Conservative government”, The National Observer, 29 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

NDP leading

Image credit: Michael de Adder

29 July 2015

Maham Abedi, writing for The Huffington Post, sheds light on a new campaign The Canadian-Muslim Vote that seeks to get Muslims politically engaged in Canada and stresses the importance of voting (“Federal Election 2015: How One Organization Is Courting The Muslim Canadian Vote“, The Huffington Post, 24 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Click Here to learn more about the campaign.

Image credit: Greg Perry

Bill Tieleman, writing for The Tyee, highlights Harper’s abandonment of cherished Conservative policies and the threat posed by economic recession to the right wing ideology of “prudent fiscal management”. (“Top Conservative? Harper More Like Failed Republican“, The Tyee, 28 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

recession

Image credit: Greg Perry

28 July 2015

Law professor Adam Dodek, writing in The Globe and Mail, underscores the reckless game of chicken that Prime Minister Harper is playing with his senate gambit. (“Harper’s constitutional disobedience a dangerous game to play,” The Globe and Mail, 27 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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Image credit: Punch, or the London Charivari, Project Gutenberg

Retired journalist and public policy analyst Peter Larson has created a series of blogs entitled “Canada Talks Israel-Palestine: How can we change the channel?”  His latest offering carefully documents what Larson calls “cautious” steps forward by the NDP on Palestinian human rights. (“NDP cautiously differentiates itself from Tories and Grits on Palestinian human rights,” Canada Talks Israel-Palestine: How can we change the channel? 27 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

Image credit: Christian Aubry, Flickr


27 July 2015

Sean Silcoff, writing for the Globe and Mail, discusses a recent Nanos Research poll which sheds doubt on Harper’s self-styled reputation as the best steward of the economy (“Mulcair leads election poll on economy,” TheGlobe and Mail, 27 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

Thomas Mulcairf

Image credit: Matt Jiggins, Flickr

Joan Bryden, writing for The Canadian Press, discusses how a longer campaign will benefit the Tories more than other parties, adding that the top 20 wealthiest riding associations are dominated by the Conservatives (“Riding analysis shows spending for longer campaign favours Tory candidates,” CBC News, 27 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

Image credit: Henry Romero, Reuters

24 July 2015

Murray Dobin, writing for The Tyee, weighs in on Harper’s decision to launch the theme of the Conservatives election campaign at the Calgary stampede along with his emphasis on security (“Harper Is Right: This Election Is about Security Versus Risk“, The Tyee, 24 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

harper-recession-gregperry

Jeremy J. Nutall, writing for The Tyee, discusses the launch of a private prosecution by Democracy Watch of Conservative party officials that were implicated but never charged in the 2011 robocalls scandal (“Citizen group to Launch Private Prosecution over Robocalls“, The Tyee, 23 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

robocall

Image credit: The Council of Canadians

Renu J. Mandhane, writing for The Toronto Star, discusses her experience in Geneva while participating in Canada’s review by the UN Human Rights Committee (“Canada should heed UN’s human rights warning“, The Toronto Star, 23 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article:

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23 July 2015

CBC news outlines the new United Nations human rights committee report, which critiques Canada’s failure to act in accordance with human rights obligations on a plethora of issues (“UN human rights committee slams Canada for record on women“, CBC News, 23 July 2015).

Click on the image below to see the full article and the advance unedited version of the report:

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The Toronto Star editorial (“Give CBC the support it needs: Editorial“, The Toronto Star, 22 July 2015) addresses the importance to a well-functioning democracy of high quality news that gives adequate, ongoing coverage to key foreign, defence and national security issues .

Click on the image below to see the full editorial:

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Image credit: CBC/BC

The Huffington Post address the prospects of a coalition government between the NDP and the Liberals (“NDP Open To Coalition Government With Liberals To Take Down Tories“, The Huffington Post, 23 July 2015).Where the Liberal Party is opposed to such a coalition, the NDP’s MP Nathan Cullen asserts that, “Canadians are going to reward those parties that are willing to work with others and work on behalf of the country first,” he said. “Our eyes are focused on our opponents, and our opponent is Stephen Harper right now.”

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