We all know about the soi-disant “high-profile” New Democrats who complained in the middle of the recently concluded Ontario election that NDP leader Andrea Horwath had abandoned core NDP principles and, as a result was risking core NDP votes in a crucial election. They “leaked” a letter on May 23 in which they scolded Horwath, saying “you are abandoning those values and constituencies that the party has always championed.” My Parliamentary Press Gallery colleague Tim Harper pithily described this as “a manifesto that reads like it was written at an Annex dinner party that went one bottle of red over the line.” In other words, this was the whining of your downtown Toronto NDP, a certain species of New Democrat that has, at times, been more trouble than it’s worth to a party that was born of Prairie populism and sober down-home common-sense 50 years ago. Continue reading In Ontario and New Brunswick, the NDP go back to populist roots — with much moaning and whining
Category: Atlantic Canada Politics
in 2014, David Alward will seek re-election while New Brunswickers pay more tax
We are likely to see provincial elections in 2014 in Ontario and Quebec but we will certainly see one in New Brunswick. Votes will happen in Ontario and Quebec, of course, only if the minority governments that lead those two provinces cannot get their budgets through the legislature. But New Brunswick Premier David Alward faces a “hard count”, a fixed election date on September 22.
Alward’s prospects for re-election, nine months ahead of the formal campaign, are bleak. Continue reading in 2014, David Alward will seek re-election while New Brunswickers pay more tax
Liberals ascendant in Atlantic Canada
There was a monster-sized voter turnout in the Newfoundland and Labrador leadership race which concluded over the weekend. As Liberal Matt Ostergard notes (in video above), the voter turnout amounted to nearly 5 per cent of the entire population of the province or nearly 24,000 votes cast. Dwight Ball was the eventual winner.
But voter turnout number is just the latest indicator of how ascendant Liberals are in Atlantic Canada politics these days. Continue reading Liberals ascendant in Atlantic Canada
Your Nova Scotia Cabinet: Bigger must be better
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil leads a cabinet of 16; sworn in today in Annapolis.
The cabinet is:
| Stephen McNeil | President of the Executive Council; Policy and Priorities; Intergovenrmental Affairs; Aboriginal Affairs; Military Relations |
| Diana Whalen | Deputy President of the Executive Council; Finance |
| Keith Colwell | Agriculture; Fisheries and Acquaculture |
| Michel Samson | Economic and Rural Development and Tourism; Acadian Affairs |
| Leo Glavine | Health and Wellness; Seniors |
| Karen Casey | Education and Early Childhood Development; Youth |
| Kelly Regan | Labour and Advanced Education |
| Andrew Younger | Energy; Communications Nova Scotia |
| Geoff MacLellan | Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal |
| Zach Churchill | Natural Resources |
| Randy Delorey | Environment; Gaelic Affairs |
| Tony Ince | Communities, Culture and Heritage; African Nova Scotian Affairs |
| Joanne Bernard | Community Services |
| Lena Diab | Attorney General and Justice; Provincial Secretary; Immigration |
| Labi Kousoulis | Publi Service Commission; Information Management; Voluntary Sector |
| Mark Furey | Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations |
Continue reading Your Nova Scotia Cabinet: Bigger must be better
The quiet election: Where are the thunder sticks in the Nova Scotia election?
I and our Sun News Network reporters have been on campaign buses in federal elections and in elections in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and others. For the last four weeks, we’ve been following the New Democrat, Liberal, and Progressive Conservative leaders tours through the Nova Scotia election. (The campaign is nearing an end and the votes will be counted Tuesday).
One thing our reporters in Nova Scotia have noticed is how quiet — relatively speaking — the Nova Scotia campaign events are compared to others we have covered. Now, a lot of people might be happy to see a campaign free of those annoying thunder sticks, but I think you will find broad agreement among political operatives of all stripes, that putting together a tub-thumping, heart-pumping political rally can give a campaign some energy and help with voter turnout. Continue reading The quiet election: Where are the thunder sticks in the Nova Scotia election?
Can Nova's Scotia's Liberals blow a big lead too?
The numbers for the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia and its leader Stephen McNeil look fabulous with less than a week to go until the votes are counted.
Two pollsters, including one commissioned by Sun News Network, have found support for the Liberals among committed and likely voters to be miles ahead of the incumbent NDP government and Premier Darrell Dexter. (in the video above, pollster David Coletto and I go through the numbers.)
But we’ve seen this movie before, haven’t we? Days before the vote last spring in B.C., opposition leader Adrian Dix and the NDP were miles ahead of the incumbent Liberal government and Premier Christy Clark. A year earlier in Alberta, polls published on the weekend before the vote showed Danielle Smith and the Wild Rose Party miles head of the incumbent Progressive Conservative Alison Redford. Continue reading Can Nova's Scotia's Liberals blow a big lead too?
Can Dexter do what Clark and Redford did? Overcome a 20 point deficit?
Looking at the latest poll in the Nova Scotia provincial election, it looks like NDP Premier Darrell Dexter may have his chief challenger, Liberal Stephen McNeil, right where he wants him — 20 points ahead with three weeks to go.
A survey of 400 Nova Scotians published today finds that that 48 per cent are ready to vote Liberal while 28 per cent would vote for the incumbent premier. Jamie Baillie’s Progressive Conservatives are attracting 23 per cent of the support.
Dexter, on the campaign trail Friday in Hammonds Plains, NS, had only one comment about this poll: “Keep calm and carry on.”
Exactly.
Dexter can take comfort in the fact that, in the last couple of years, a lot of incumbents have come back to win even after being down by a few touchdowns in the first quarter. Continue reading Can Dexter do what Clark and Redford did? Overcome a 20 point deficit?
Jamie Baillie's pitch in Nova Scotia: Cut taxes, cut government, run a surplus
It was platform day in the Nova Scotia general election. I talk to PC Leader Jamie Baillie about his plans to cut taxes and still end up with a budget surplus in year one.
NDP buys front page of Halifax paper, much tut-tutting ensues
This was the front page of the free commuter newspaper Halifax Metro today. Looking at it quickly, it might appear as if Metro‘s front page editors were making some editorial judgements about the winners and losers in the first debate of the Nova Scotia general election campaign, held yesterday evening at the CBC Halifax studios. The lead headline is “Dexter in tune with today’s families” while the sub-heads with Liberal leader Stephen McNeil reads “McNeil disappoints on jobs, health care” and with PC Leader Jamie Baillie, “Baillie dodges disastrous record.” Continue reading NDP buys front page of Halifax paper, much tut-tutting ensues
Atlantic Canada's Employment Insurance haul: $12.5 billion in a decade
Don Mills, Chairman and CEO of Halifax-based Corporate Research Associates, Inc., put out the following series of tweets this afternoon:
Between 2001-10, Newfoundlanders received a staggering $5.9 billion more in EI benefits than paid in contributions. #NLpoli
— Don Mills (@DonMillsCRA) August 12, 2013 Continue reading Atlantic Canada's Employment Insurance haul: $12.5 billion in a decade