Hello,
This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If you’re reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter signup page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.
Please note: There will be no Politics Briefing newsletter on Monday, Sept. 6.
Amid the continuing fourth wave of the pandemic, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party is ready to go to an all-virtual campaign effort if necessary.
“We do have a contingency plan in place where we can shift to a virtual campaign if need be,” Mr. Singh told a news conference in Quebec City on Friday.
He made the comments as the Public Health Agency of Canada held its first media technical briefing of the election.
Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, said there is an urgent need for more people between 18 and 39 to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to reduce the impact of the Delta variant.
Dr. Tam said new modelling shows that if the current rate of transmission of COVID-19 remains the same, Canada could see more than 15,000 new cases a day by the beginning of October.
She also noted that 84 per cent of people aged 12 years or older have received at least one dose of vaccine and 77 per cent are now fully vaccinated.
Asked whether people should be gathering at campaign stops, Dr. Tam urged caution given how quickly the virus is spreading in some areas.
The latest seven-day average of 3,487 cases reported daily between Aug. 27 and Sept. 2 is an increase of 22 per cent over the previous week.
Rival party leaders have criticized Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau for calling the election during a pandemic while Mr. Trudeau has defended the move.
At Thursday night’s TVA leaders’ debate in Montreal, Mr. Trudeau said the election is needed to allow Canadians’ input into decisions on such issues as climate change and housing. “Canadians deserve to be heard,” he said.
Although Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole has been travelling the country to campaign, he has also reached out to voters from a studio in downtown Ottawa.
TODAY’S HEADLINES
TVA DEBATE – Trudeau faced sharp criticism over his decision to call an election during the pandemic, while O’Toole was repeatedly challenged on mandatory vaccinations and child care during the first French-language debate of the federal campaign.
GREEN PARTY LEADER (TEMPORARILY) ENDORSES LIBERAL ENVIRONMENT PLAN – At a Thursday press conference, Green Party Leader Annamie Paul endorsed the Liberals’ plan on climate change. “I’ll tell the people of Canada that if you want a real plan, one that is going to grow our economy, that is going to put us at the front of the competitive green economy of the future … the only option in this election for you is the Liberals,” Paul said. In a subsequent statement, a party representative said she misspoke. Story here from CBC.
BUT A FORMER B.C. GREEN PARTY LEADER FULLY ENDORSES THE LIBERAL PLAN – The one-time leader of the Green Party in British Columbia has endorsed the federal Liberals’ plan for combatting climate change.
NDP CANDIDATE TOUGH CRITIC OF B.C. NDP GOVERNMENT – New Democrats are relying on a harsh critic of John Horgan and his government’s environmental record to win a high-profile Vancouver seat in the federal election.
FIX TRANSPARENCY LAW: STAKEHOLDERS – Civil-society groups, journalists and members of the public are telling the federal government it is time to fix Canada’s broken transparency law, but the issue has received scant attention on the campaign trail.
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is campaigning today in Longueil, Chambly, Beloeil, Kingsley Falls and Victoriaville.
Campaign-Trail Commitment: Mr. Blanchet met with the Union des producteurs agricoles during its general council and detailed commitments in agriculture, including not cutting back tax privileges granted for the family transfer of a farm.
Conservative Party Leader O’Toole made an announcement and held a media availability in Montreal, and later met with supporters in North Vancouver, B.C.
Campaign-Trail Commitment: O’Toole outlined Conservative policy on dealing with illegal firearms and gangs.
Green Party Leader Paul, in Toronto, holds a press conference. She also meets with members of the Filipino community.
Campaign-Trail Commitment: Paul was scheduled to call for a national database to track police use of force.
Liberal Leader Trudeau made an announcement in Mississauga, Ont., followed by a media availability.
Campaign-Trail Commitment: Trudeau touted Liberal commitments to ensure that everyone travelling on a plane, train or cruise ship is vaccinated against COVID-19.
NDP Leader Singh, in Quebec City, unveils the NDP Quebec platform.
Campaign-Trail Commitment: Mr. Singh released the platform, which includes a commitment to recognize Quebec’s national character. More details here.
ELECTION SPOTLIGHT – ONTARIO
121 Seats. At dissolution of Parliament, 76 Liberals, 34 Conservatives, 6 NDP, 4 Independent, 1 vacant.
Laura Stephenson, political scientist, University of Western Ontario
“The polls are giving us a picture of what Ontarians are thinking, but it still feels like we’re in the early days because it’s before Labour Day. I think things could change a lot in the last few weeks of the campaign. And when I see the numbers I ask myself, to what extent is this a referendum on what Ontarians think about the provincial government? Premier Doug Ford gets a lot of flack and Ontarians could be itching to keep more conservatives out of office. On the other hand, I think ‘How are Ontarians reacting to what’s going on federally and how are they satisfied or not satisfied with Trudeau’s management and the way the province is being treated by Ottawa overall?’
“Overall, when it comes to a federal election, Ontario’s size, population and proportion of seats makes it seem like a continuation of what’s good for Ontario should be good for Canada, at least in the eyes of Ontarians. That’s obviously an assumption that can be disputed quite heavily, but I think there’s that kind of centrist view. Ontario, like Quebec, is central to any election outcome. You can’t ignore both Ontario and Quebec and expect to win the election. There are just too many seats. I think we, as Ontarians, sort of assume we’re going to be a target of leaders and we’re going to receive a lot of attention. It’s a presumption on our part, but that’s how it has always been. And, importantly, it’s different than what other provinces might experience.”
PUBLIC OPINION
Together with CTV and Nanos Research, The Globe and Mail is doing daily surveys to track which party and leader Canadians prefer. Check here for the latest results.
More than halfway through the federal campaign, a new poll suggests that three out of four Canadians do not think the election is necessary.
OPINION
The Editorial Board of The Globe and Mail on the Liberals still working on what the election is about:
“If the Liberals had their druthers, their opponent in this election would be the anti-vaccine freedom caucus. You know, those protesters who keep showing up and acting out at Justin Trudeau’s events. Despite the performative hand-wringing by Grits and credulous TV journalists, they’ve been a gift to the Liberal Leader, and he should pray they never go away. The camera’s true love is conflict, and social-media’s jam is polarization, so the protesters’ angry presence instantly turns NyQuil-strength political rallies into viral catnip.”
Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on O’Toole getting out of the TVA debate in one piece:
”On one level, you had to wonder whether Erin O’Toole would want to turn up for the TVA debate. A party leader can’t really snub the first French-language debate of an election campaign, but Mr. O’Toole must have feared he was walking into a buzzsaw. This debate is where his predecessor, Andrew Scheer, saw his Quebec campaign blow up in 2019 over his abortion views. And both francophones on the stage, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, had reason to target Mr. O’Toole. So walking out in one piece was the first goal. And Mr. O’Toole did that. Not without some scrapes.”
Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on how the two main parties are very much alike in what they don’t say during the federal election:
“The key to understanding any party platform is to read the part that is written in invisible ink: There is what it says, and then there is what it does not say, which is usually far more significant. The promises a party makes may or may not bear any relation to earthbound reality – they are mostly meaningful as guides to the interests it is trying to bribe – but the promises it declines to make you can take to the bank. So it is with the current offerings from the federal Liberals and Conservatives.”
Melissa Fung (Contributor to The Globe and Mail) on how the two Michaels will not be the same when they are freed:
“I can’t imagine how Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are coping as they now mark an awful milestone: 1,000 days in captivity. I can’t imagine being held against your will for so long. Are they even marking the days any more? How are they pulling themselves back from the abyss of despair? How are they coping with the loss of control over their lives? How are their families coping? How dark will that hole be for them, when they are finally allowed to return home? My heart hurts for them and their families, who bear an unfathomable burden. I know this because my captivity is still a difficult subject for my family. I can’t know their pain, but I feel responsible for it – and they have to deal with it anew whenever the darkness pulls me back.”
Marc Jaccard (Policy Options) on assessing climate sincerity in the Canadian federal election:
”Beware of politicians who promise big but have not subjected their promises and plans to assessment by independent climate-policy modellers. In this regard, the NDP and Greens are suspect. Both have promised dramatic economic transformation in just nine years that they claim will not harm the economy and vulnerable people. Yet neither has subjected their promises to scrutiny by independent modellers.”
Send along your political questions and we will look at getting answers to run in this newsletter. It's not possible to answer each one personally. Questions and answers will be edited for length and clarity.
Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com. Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop
Ian Bailey