Randall Denley: Attacking Poilievre's Conservatives will come back to bite Doug Ford
Ontario Premier Doug Ford clearly doesn't like federal Conservatives, but did he really sabotage their campaign in the province, as one re-elected Ontario MP recently suggested? Not likely, if you stick to the facts.
Article content
Article content
The unseemly infighting between the leaderships of Ontario Progressive Conservatives and Pierre Poilievre's federal Conservatives boiled over this week, to the credit of neither. Ontario Conservative MP Jamil Jivani took quite a run at Ford after the federal party's election loss Monday. 'When it was our turn to run an election, he couldn't stay out of our business, always getting his criticisms and all his opinions out, distracting our campaign, trying to make it about him, trying to position himself as some kind of political genius that we needed to be taking cues from,' Jivani said. He added that Ford was a 'hype man' for the federal Liberals.
Article content
Article content
On Wednesday, Ford couldn't resist rising to the bait, telling reporters 'Last time I checked, Pierre Poilievre never came out in our (recent provincial) election. (As a) matter of fact, him, or one of his lieutenants, told every one of his members, 'Don't you dare go out and help the (Progressive Conservatives)'. Isn't that ironic?'
Article content
Article content
A reasonable person might make a distinction between not helping and actively, publicly criticizing, and Ford did indulge himself in some sniping at the federal party during the recent national election. So did Ford's adviser, Kory Teneycke. But if that was sabotage, it was highly ineffective.
Article content
Under Poilievre, the Conservatives gained seats in Ontario and the Liberals lost them in sufficient numbers to prevent their leader Mark Carney from winning a majority. Poilievre even collected a higher percentage of the popular vote than did Ford himself just months ago.
Article content
Ontario is where the Conservatives held back a seemingly unstoppable Liberal tide, confounding pollsters' predictions of a dismal result in the province. The poll aggregator 338Canada.com projected 82 seats for the Liberals in Ontario, and just 37 for the Conservatives.
Article content
In the end, Poilievre took 53 seats, up from 37 in 2021. The Liberals got 69, down from 78 before. The Conservatives had 43.8 per cent of the vote, just ahead of Ford's 42.97 per cent in the provincial vote. If an incumbent like Ford running against two weak opponents could only get about 43 per cent provincially, that suggests it's the ceiling for conservative politicians in Ontario.
Article content
Article content
The bad blood between federal Conservatives and PCs in Ontario certainly predates Ford and Poilievre. When I was a provincial PC candidate more than a decade ago, federal party types made it abundantly clear that they were the pros and the provincial PCs were inept losers. It seems like not much has changed. But it should.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
15 minutes ago
Carney facing some Liberal pushback over Modi's invitation to G7 summit
Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing some pushback from his caucus over Canada's decision to invite the Indian prime minister to the G7 meeting in Alberta next week, with one Sikh MP saying it's a bad idea. B.C. MP Sukh Dhaliwal told reporters he met with Carney early Wednesday to express what he says are constituents' frustrations with the decision to include Narendra Modi. Canadian police have alleged Indian agents were involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (new window) , the Canadian Khalistani separatist who was gunned down in B.C. in 2023. Nijjar and others in that movement have been calling for an independent Sikh homeland in northern India called Khalistan, which Modi's government has vigorously opposed and denounced as a national security threat. The RCMP has clearly stated there's credible evidence Indian agents were involved in the assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, Dhaliwal said of Nijjar. It's a bad idea to include Modi in this high-profile get-together, he said. WATCH | Modi coming is a 'bad idea,' Dhaliwal says: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Liberal MP says Modi coming to Canada is 'a bad idea' Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, B.C. Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal said he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney Wednesday morning to express concerns he says his constituents have with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi being invited to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta. Dhaliwal said Carney is alarmed by the Nijjar case and taking seriously what would be an egregious violation of Canadian sovereignty. Canada expelled some Indian diplomats (new window) after the allegations were made public. A police investigation into alleged Indian involvement is ongoing but the government has already said there are linkages between the four Indian nationals arrested and charged (new window) with Nijjar's murder and the Indian government. Dhaliwal said Carney is very strong on the issue and will represent Sikh concerns about Indian interference and transnational crime when speaking to Modi. I'm saying it's not a good idea, but now he's invited. We have to move forward, he said. 'Our government needs to take a firm stand' Another Liberal B.C. MP, Gurbux Saini, said his voters are concerned. What is happening is wrong and our government needs to take a firm stand, he said of India's alleged actions. Beyond the Nijjar killing, the Foreign Interference Commission's final report (new window) also identified India as a top meddler in Canadian affairs. The commission reviewed intelligence suggesting Indian-aligned proxies may have clandestinely provided financial support to various Canadian politicians to try and get more pro-Indian candidates elected. The report also found that India has used disinformation to further its goals in Canada. Liberal MP Karina Gould, a past cabinet minister and leadership contender, said human rights should be on the agenda when Carney meets with Modi and if another controversial G7 invitee, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (new window) , also decides to attend. Bin Salman has been tied to the killing of Saudi dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi. I understand why they were invited. Part of diplomacy is having these conversations — you don't shut the door to them, Gould said. But we're also standing up for values that are important to Canadians. WATCH | MPs asked about India, Saudi Arabia invites : Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Liberal MPs asked about Carney inviting India, Saudi Arabia to G7 in Canada Liberal MPs Yasir Naqvi, Ahmed Hussen, Rob Oliphant and Yvan Baker were asked Wednesday to share their thoughts on Prime Minister Mark Carney inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to attend the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta. The Modi invite is a sign Carney may be looking to reset relations with India after a particularly fractious period under the last Liberal government, said Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University. It's sending a positive signal to the Indians that the Carney government wants to begin to turn the page on some of the frictions we saw during the Trudeau government and the difficulties they had with India, Hampson said in an interview with CBC News. And there are signs India may be open to a rapprochement because Modi accepted the invitation immediately, Hampson said, unlike Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum who took days to consider whether to go or not (new window) . India is the world's fifth-largest economy, a major regional actor in the Indo-Pacific and an increasingly important player on the global stage, and bringing Modi here for the G7 is a way for Carney to signal he's taking Canada's foreign policy in a different direction, Hampson said. The fact that this is a multilateral gathering that we're hosting does give the prime minister some cover when it comes to domestic critics who feel Modi shouldn't be invited. It would be very different if it was an invitation for a bilateral heads of government meeting in Ottawa. At least this can be done under the cloak of the G7, he said. The push to diversify the economy is why other Liberal MPs were deferential to Carney and his decision to include Modi. Canada is facing an economic crisis with U.S. relations at a low point, International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu said, and Canada needs to collaborate and work out some of the issues with India. I think the G7 is an important avenue for the prime minister to discuss some economic collaboration, Sidhu said. MP Yasir Naqvi, the parliamentary secretary to Sidhu, said there's no excuse for the very serious allegations around extrajudicial killings, but the Carney and Modi face-to-face is a chance for Canada to demand India's co-operation with the ongoing Canadian police investigation and to engage on the larger issue. This only happens if there's a relationship between our governments, Naqvi said. WATCH | Conservative leader on Modi's invitation: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Poilievre says Modi's G7 invitation was 'necessary' 5 days agoDuration0:55'We need to work with India,' Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, said when asked if it's appropriate for the Indian prime minister to come to Canada, as his government's role in a B.C. killing is investigated. And, as Carney looks to lessen Canada's dependence on the U.S., there are opportunities for Canadian businesses in India, Naqvi said. Canada is trying to open the door on relationships and say, 'We need to diversify our trade vastly,' added MP Rob Oliphant, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs. The message to the world is Canada is a vibrant trading partner. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said earlier this week that India is one of the biggest and fastest-growing economies in the world. India is a promising potential market for Canadian liquefied natural gas and nuclear power technology, among other products, Poilievre said, and that sort of trade depends on improving relations. We need to work with India … on trade and security, he said. The invitation is necessary. WATCH | NDP MP slams invitations : Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Modi's invitation to Canada 'deeply alarming,' says NDP MP NDP MP Heather McPherson joined colleagues on Parliament Hill to object to some of the foreign leaders invited to the G7 summit in Alberta, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over his country's alleged links to the 2023 killing of B.C. Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Meanwhile, NDP MP Heather McPherson said Modi's inclusion is deeply alarming. This government has consistently and very clearly chosen profits and the economy over human rights, over people, she said. Profit over people. That's their mantra. John Paul Tasker (new window) · CBC News
Globe and Mail
21 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Post-Mulroney, the Conservatives' brand is ‘loser.' It's time for an overhaul
How have Conservatives fared since making the big swerve rightward in the early 1990s? We recall that under Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative banner they won majority governments in 1984 and 1988. Then along came the dividers, the ideologues of the Reform Party, who grabbed 52 seats in the 1993 election and then proceeded to swallow the old Tories whole. And the rest is history – a primarily painful party history. Since the late Mr. Mulroney's departure from the party leadership in 1993, the Liberals have won eight elections to the Conservatives' three. The question now is whether the party will continue on its Liberal gift-giving track or clue in and opt, like the Liberal Party has just done, for a change of course: in the Conservatives' case, a change that broadens their identity beyond their Prairies-driven populist brand. Lawrence Martin: Why the Conservatives should dump Poilievre – but won't To be sure, the Conservatives' tradition is to lose most of the time. But in being bracketed further on the right in recent decades, they've lost even more of the time. If we count the four years (or so) to come under Mark Carney, the Liberals will have been in power for 27 years since 1993. The Conservatives? Nine. Their three victories came under Stephen Harper, who also lost two elections. Whether the wins were on account of ideology is doubtful. Two of the three wins came against Stéphane Dion and Michael Ignatieff, arguably two of the weakest leaders in Liberal Party history. As for the Conservatives' defeats, three came courtesy of Jean Chrétien, one from Paul Martin, three from Justin Trudeau and one so far from Mr. Carney. In the meantime, a more moderate form of conservatism, as practiced by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, has resulted in three straight majority victories in the province. On that more centrist side is where the federal party has been most successful, as exemplified by multiple election winners John A. Macdonald, John Diefenbaker and Mr. Mulroney. More bad news for the Conservative Party in its current form is the advantage the collapsed NDP gives the Liberals. Their plight, and Mr. Carney's shift away from left-leaning Trudeauism to the centre, means Liberals' available real estate has significantly expanded. It is especially the case if the Conservatives are cocooned on the right. Another factor that suggests the Conservatives need a big rethink is the plight of the populist brand. Leader Pierre Poilievre, who joined the Reform Party as a teenager, is an embedded populist. What Donald Trump is doing to the image of populism is ghastly. Under him, it is authoritarian, xenophobic, demagogic, vulgar, imperialist ... and I'll stop there. Lawrence Martin: How the Conservatives can save themselves: Changing Canada's image as the great white weakling of the North With the election of Mr. Carney – a big banker, an establishment man, a globalist respected for his knowledge – Canadians have signalled a turn away from populism. They're fed up with the politics of polarization. Mr. Carney might even bring back a modicum of respect for elites. His Liberals are popular in Quebec. As Mr. Mulroney argued, without Quebec the Conservatives' chances of winning a majority are scant. Post-Mulroney, the party has scored low in the province. A political party's deficiencies can be overcome with a popular leader, but the current Conservatives are saddled with one who lost his own seat and who, according to a new Nanos poll, is almost 25 points behind Mr. Carney in approval ratings. In the election campaign, many of Mr. Poilievre's economic policies were welcome enough, so much so that they were copied by the Liberals. Policy was less his problem than personality, likeability and his concocted look. Having been an MP for 20-plus years and party leader for almost three, that image is ingrained, hard to change. There's an old saying about all politics being local. That is not the case now. With foreign threats on the rise, with the country being bludgeoned by Donald Trump's tariffs, with Big Tech and AI posing new challenges, politics is becoming more and more global. The Liberals found a man of global stature to meet the times. Ironically, given all his political experience, Mr. Poilievre looks unseasoned by comparison. He has spent precious little time abroad. He gives no sense of having an informed global perspective. Hard economic times are ahead for the country. The Carney honeymoon will likely end before long. How he hopes to pay for all his wide-eyed promises is a mystery. There's a good chance the Conservatives will benefit in the polls, thus dampening momentum for bold change. But that would be folly. The trajectory Conservatives have been on since being overtaken by the Reform ideologues has been predominantly a failing one. They need put this phase of their history behind them.
Ottawa Citizen
29 minutes ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Dayforce confirmed as replacement for Phoenix as federal government pay system
The federal government is set to move forward with replacing the plagued Phoenix pay system with Dayforce. Article content Procurement Minister Joël Lightbound announced Wednesday that the government would start the 'final build and testing phase' of the new platform. Article content Article content 'The Government of Canada remains committed to modernizing its HR and pay systems in a responsible and transparent manner,' Lightbound said in a statement. 'By investing in the future of HR and pay, we are taking an important step forward in ensuring an efficient, secure, and sustainable solution for public service employees.' Article content Article content The announcement came as the federal government continued to work to ease the backlog of pay issues. As of April 23, there were 327,000 transactions in the system remaining to be processed. Of that number, 49 per cent were more than a year old. Article content Article content The total of 327,000 represented an improvement on previous months. In late February, the backlog stood at 366,000 transactions and in October 2024 it was 402,000. Article content The Liberal government launched Phoenix in 2016 after the previous Conservative government had initiated the platform. Problems soon arose as public servants struggled to get paid fully and on time. Article content An auditor general report from December 2024 found that 32 per cent of federal government employees reported errors in their basic or acting pay during the 2023–24 fiscal year. That was up from 30 per cent in 2022–23 and 28 per cent in 2021–22. However, it was also a steep decrease from the peak of Phoenix's problems in 2019–20, when 51 per cent of employees had to deal with pay errors. The cost of Phoenix's failure for the government has also ballooned. Since 2017, the federal government has spent at least $3.5 billion on the Phoenix pay system. It has also cost the federal government money in settlements and compensation for public servants. Last November, the government settled a class-action lawsuit brought by non-unionized and casual employees over the payment system fiasco. And in 2020 Canada's largest public-sector union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, reached an agreement with the government giving 140,000 workers each $2,500 in compensation over the issues with Phoenix. Article content Article content
