Chrystia Freeland – David Akin’s On The Hill

From Fort Mac to Fort York: The ripples of Chow's resignation on federal politics

Mike Layton, Olivia Chow at Chow for Mayor rally — TORONTO – Coun. Mike Layton introduces Olivia Chow during a rally for her mayoral campaign on Sunday. [Ernest Doroszuk/QMI Agency]

The decision by Olivia Chow last week to quit her seat in the House of Commons to take a run at the Mayor’s chair in Toronto has already started a broad ripple effect in federal politics that stretches from the oil sands in northern Alberta to downtown Toronto and could even influence the way the 2015 federal election is fought.

Chow represented the downtown Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina, a riding which Chow won by 20,000 votes in 2011. But that race had been much closer in 2008, when she won by 3,500 and in 2006 when she won by 3,000. In 2004, Chow ran and lost Trinity-Spadina to Liberal Tony Ianno, who would be a junior minister in Paul Martin’s cabinet. Ianno had held the riding for the Liberals since 1993.

Now the Liberals want it back. Standing in their way (aside from some potential Liberal infighting) will likely be Joe Cressy, Continue reading From Fort Mac to Fort York: The ripples of Chow's resignation on federal politics

I know you're gay but I'm Chrystia Freeland. And you're not.

I’m sure — in fact, I’m certain — that Toronto Centre Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland meant this to sound better than it reads but, in an interview with the newspaper Xtra, that serves the largest gay and lesbian community in any riding in the country (I know Hedy Fry will quickly correct me if Vancouver Centre holds that title), Freeland sounds tremendously condescending. Example (my emphasis): Continue reading I know you're gay but I'm Chrystia Freeland. And you're not.

Toronto Centre Irony Alert!

“It is increasingly the case that your job prospects are correlated not with how hard you work, not with how well you did at school, but with the job that your father had,” Toronto Centre Liberal candidate Chrystia Freeland tells Justin Trudeau. (at 3:05 here)

Game on in Toronto Centre: McQuaig challenges Freeland

It’s game on in Toronto Centre where Liberal Chrystia Freeland (a former Globe and Mail editor) is trying to hold the seat for the Liberals while Linda McQuaig (whose last port of call was The Toronto Star) is trying to steal it for the NDP.

Take the poll…

Continue reading Game on in Toronto Centre: McQuaig challenges Freeland

VIDEO: Ross counts on community connection to win Liberal nod in Toronto-Centre

Todd Ross, a former navy man and a long-time assistant to former Ontario Liberal MPP George Smitherman, has heard the rumours that federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau favours the candidacy of journalist Chrystia Freeland in Toronto Centre but he is not deterred. He believes his long and constant connection to the riding — which includes some of the city’s poorest and richest neighbourhoods — St. James Town to Rosedale — will stand him in good stead with Liberals in the riding.

The date for the nomination has yet to be set but, according to three Liberal sources with knowledge about the riding, there were, as of last week, about 1,175 members of the Toronto Centre Liberal riding association, a number that has grown only by about 300 since the nomination race began. (Diana Burke is the third nominee running). Continue reading VIDEO: Ross counts on community connection to win Liberal nod in Toronto-Centre