The Writ

Manitoba’s election campaign is underway and is setting up to be a close contest between Heather Stefanson’s Progressive Conservatives and Wab Kinew’s New Democrats — so close, in fact, that Dougald Lamont’s Liberals could end up with the balance of power. To discuss this first stage of the Manitoba campaign, I’m joined by Curtis Brown , principal at Probe Research, Ian Froese , the CBC’s provinci...

In this first episode of The Numbers , a collaboration between myself and Philippe J. Fournier, we do a rundown of the latest federal polling and what it means for the three major parties. We also discuss the Conservative convention, the impact of the Greenbelt controversy on the Ontario PCs, the early days of the Manitoba election and the upcoming provincial byelection in Jean-Talon. We then answ...

It’s a break week here at The Writ , but things are about to get pretty busy this fall season with the launch of two new podcasts: The Numbers and Les chiffres ! Philippe J. Fournier and I are really excited to start these two new projects, and we hope that you’ll be just as excited for them as we are. You can find more information about The Numbers and Les chiffres at our website here . We also w...

When the cameras get switched off in the House of Commons, the work of an MP doesn’t stop — and that includes over the summer months when politics might be the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. To give us an idea of what life is like for an MP away from Parliament Hill, I’m joined this week by two Members of Parliament: Dan Albas , Conservative MP for the B.C. riding of Central Okanagan–Similkame...

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has used the summer to try a new look and launch a new ad campaign designed to introduce him to voters — will it work, and what is it trying to achieve? Plus, the fall political season is fast approaching. So what do each of the parties have to do in the coming months as politics start to heat up again in Ottawa? To answer these questions, two-thirds of the pol...

With less than two months to go before election day in Manitoba, the polls are suggesting the race could be neck-and-neck between Heather Stefanson’s governing Progressive Conservatives and the opposition New Democrats under Wab Kinew. To help set us up for the Manitoba election campaign which is only weeks away from officially getting started, I’m joined this week by Niigaan Sinclair and Dan Lett...

On Thursday, three byelections will answer two questions in Saskatchewan politics: 1) Are cracks in the conservative coalition that makes up the governing Saskatchewan Party starting to form? 2) Will the Saskatchewan New Democrats show any signs that they can win the kind of seats they need if they are to ever return to power? To help set up the three provincial byelections in Regina Walsh Acres,...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn’t just shuffle his cabinet — he overhauled it, replacing seven ministers and changing the roles of most of the others. A simple refresh ahead of the next election or an admission that things weren’t working? To discuss what it all means, I’m joined this week by Stephanie Levitz of the Toronto Star and the CBC’s Aaron Wherry . As always, in addition to listening t...

Two hotly-contested byelections and a Liberal leadership race that is heating up — politics in Ontario isn’t taking a break for the summer! So, joining me to break down all the latest from the OLP leadership contest and what to watch in the upcoming byelections in Kanata–Carleton and Scarborough–Guildwood is Sabrina Nanji of Queen’s Park Observer . Plus: Join me at 9 PM on July 27 for a livestream...

It’s the height of summer and that isn’t always when lots of political news is produced. So, I invited Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada.com to join me for a summer mailbag episode, answering some of the questions we got from listeners and readers, including (but not limited to!): * What’s the lowest the Liberals could go and still have a chance win the most seats? * Will there be a federal electi...

Caucus revolts, ministerial resignations, cabinet shuffles, leadership challenges and the threat of an early election — you don’t need to go much further than New Brunswick to get your fill of political drama. Premier Blaine Higgs has been facing down opponents within his caucus and within his party over the last few weeks. The spark was a proposed change to laws regarding LGBTQ students but the t...

With the House of Commons adjourned for the summer, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government is now heading into the back half of its four year mandate. Where do things stand at this midway point, as Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives move ahead in the polls and Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats prop up the Liberals in the minority parliament? Joining me this week to take stock of the state of federal politi...

With Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day now upon us, I invited Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada.com to join me for a little game — a draft of Quebec’s best (and most notorious?) premiers! Who makes it No. 1? Which premier gets drafted higher than of the scouts had him? After listening, let us know which team of premiers you think is the best team! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with...

Polls are ubiquitous in Canadian election campaigns, but that wasn’t always the case. Before political polling arrived in the 1940s, journalists and politicians had to go about gauging public opinion differently. But once polls made their way here, they became an indispensable part of Canadian politics. Joining me this week to tell the story of the development of polling in Canada is Christopher A...

With just a few weeks to go before Toronto chooses its next mayor, the polls are giving a big lead to Olivia Chow, former NDP MP and the third-place finisher in 2014’s mayoral race. So, is this election Olivia Chow’s to lose? To set up this last stage of the mayoral campaign, I’m joined again by Matt Elliott, a contributing columnist to the Toronto Star and publisher of the City Hall Watcher newsl...

Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives secured a majority government in Monday’s Alberta election, defeating Rachel Notley’s New Democrats. How did the UCP’s win come about, what does it mean for politics in Alberta and what are the implications for Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre? Separately, what are the politics surrounding David Johnston’s inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s elect...

We’re down to the final days of Alberta’s election campaign and it could be close. Will Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives hold on for re-election, or will Rachel Notley’s New Democrats mount a comeback? First, I’m joined by The Globe and Mail ’s Calgary-based columnist Kelly Cryderman to discuss how this campaign has unfolded. Then, Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada.com is back to go over the...

There will be four federal byelections on June 19 in the ridings of Winnipeg South Centre, Portage–Lisgar, Oxford and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount, all four of them solid seats for the incumbent Conservatives and Liberals. But in addition to being a mid-term test for all parties, the byelections will also have a few party leaders on the ballot: PPC leader Maxime Bernier in Portage–Lisgar and Gree...

The merger of the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Party was supposed to end the split of the right in Alberta’s politics. But while the United Conservative Party has successfully prevented another right-of-centre party from rising to prominence in the province, it hasn’t stopped divisions forming within its own organization. Joining me this week on the podcast is the CBC’s Jason Markuso...

The first week of the Alberta election campaign is nearly over — and it’s been off to a slow start. So, who is coming out ahead in the early going and just how engaged are voters in this tight contest? To break down Week 1, I’m joined by Elise von Scheel , the CBC’s provincial affairs reporter in Calgary, and Lisa Young , professor of political science at the University of Calgary and author of th...

With just days to go before the starting pistol goes off on Alberta’s campaign, I’m joined this week by Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada.com to break down where things stand in this hotly-contested election. We also chat about some other recent news, including François Legault’s decision to go back on his promise of a third link between Quebec City and Lévis for motorists, the results of the New...

Did you know that Toronto is a big city? It’s true! If it were a province, it would rank fifth on the list. More people live in Toronto than in all of Atlantic Canada or in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. And on June 26, Torontonians will be going to the polls in the biggest byelection in Canadian history. Voters will have lots of options for John Tory’s replacement, as there are dozens of candidates o...

It’s been 10 years since Justin Trudeau became leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. That not only makes him one of today’s longest-serving party leaders in the country, it also puts him on a short list of historic Liberal leaders: only Lester Pearson, Jean Chrétien, Pierre Trudeau, Mackenzie King and Wilfrid Laurier have held the job longer than Justin Trudeau has. He says he will lead the Liber...

What should we make of the recommendation from Elections Ontario to ban the publication of polls in the last two weeks of an election campaign? And the Prince Edward Island election earlier this week has got me thinking about the links between provincial and federal politics. How do voters separate, if it all, their partisan attachment to parties at the two levels of government? The party pollster...

Dennis King’s Progressive Conservatives kicked off the Prince Edward Island election campaign with a big lead in the polls, seemingly leaving the only real battle to be between Peter Bevan-Baker’s Greens and Sharon Cameron’s Liberals for official opposition status. But are King’s PCs still on track for a big majority win, maybe even a sweep? Or did any of the campaign’s controversies or this past...