Latest news with #PoliticalAnalysts
National Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Colby Cosh: The underrated power of Poilievre
I've been reading various election post-mortems this weekend, or catching up on them, having sensed that I ought to try to understand the federal Conservative arguments over whether to keep Pierre Poilievre as leader or dump him. This is probably harder than usual from an Alberta vantage point. The election was (foreseeably) decided in Ontario, and whenever I manage to talk myself into some convincing account of how the Ontario boomer swing voter thinks, I always end with 'But these same people keep electing Doug Ford.' Article content Article content Article content And that makes me suspect that the secret to politics is maybe just being lucky in your opponents, which Pierre Poilievre in 2025 just really wasn't. Don't get me wrong: I understand that Premier Ford has incredible, probably unsurpassed retail-politics ability. He's built from the ground up to be what he is — an accessible, authentic sort of super-mayor of English Canada. But the political analysts keep saying that Poilievre was somehow too much like Donald Trump to win at a moment when Real Trump was sowing chaos and fear in Canada. Article content Article content Get real, everybody. If you are really looking for the most Trump-like figure anywhere in Canadian politics, the person whose campaigning approach, sense of humour and overall demeanour are the most like Trump's … the answer is really, really obvious. It's the guy who keeps winning in Ontario, and who, like Trump, wins despite having little identifiable concrete political achievement beyond the winning itself. What was it George Orwell said about seeing what is in front of one's nose? Article content Poilievre has attracted critics inside his party despite a genuinely impressive election result. He is haunted by the rapid evaporation of a gigantic lead in the between-election polls, a lead that he and his controversial inner circle somehow developed. Many of the election coroners are convinced that Poilievre has a personality problem, that he lacks a 'softer side' and just can't connect with Ontario's suburban boomers. If so, it must be a problem that he suddenly developed this year, right around the time Justin Trudeau effed off into the gloaming. And the Conservative platform obviously wasn't the problem, since the Liberal victory was built unapologetically on its stolen planks. Article content What's obviously true is that the Conservative strategy was over-indexed on Trudeau, and that they didn't anticipate the Liberal abandonment of consumer carbon taxation — a cause for which they had squandered oceans of money, planetary volumes of public and provincial goodwill, and the best years in the lives of innumerable lawyers. Everybody knew long before the election that there was a possibility that Trudeau could be talked by his caucus and cabinet into leaving, and that Mark Carney, central banker to the stars, might end up being the replacement.
CBC
27-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Manitobans, Indigenous leaders watching closely as King Charles set to deliver throne speech
Indigenous leaders, political analysts and monarchists in Manitoba say they'll be watching and listening closely as King Charles III delivers the speech from the throne in Ottawa on Tuesday, marking first time since 1977 that Canada's head of state has opened Parliament.
Free Malaysia Today
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Rafizi supporters unlikely to quit, boycott PKR, say analysts
New PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar must prove she is at least as capable as ousted party number two Rafizi Ramli in terms of competence and leadership, says Hisommudin Bakar. PETALING JAYA : Political analysts say Rafizi Ramli and his supporters are unlikely to quit or boycott PKR despite his defeat in the race for the party's deputy presidency last week. Hisommudin Bakar and Azmi Hassan said that while some of Rafizi's staunchest supporters may turn into passive members, their numbers are unlikely to be so large as to affect the party's preparations for the next general election (GE16). Azmi, of Akademi Nusantara, discounted the possibility of the Pandan MP leaving the party altogether, saying PKR was most suited to Rafizi's political style. He also said Rafizi cannot afford to make the mistake of leading an exodus of members out of PKR despite his loss to Nurul Izzah Anwar, as it would likely damage his political prospects. 'Leaving the party would leave Rafizi adrift and directionless, not unlike Khairy after he was ejected by Umno,' he told FMT. Although Nurul Izzah has appealed for all PKR members, including Rafizi's supporters, to close ranks following the recent polls, Azmi believes Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is the person best placed to deal with the matter. He said only Saifuddin could convince Rafizi and his supporters to throw their weight behind the new leadership. 'Nurul Izzah doesn't have the aura or influence to persuade Rafizi. Even the party president himself wouldn't be able to do that. The right man is Saifuddin because he is the most neutral.' In a Facebook post yesterday, Nurul Izzah urged all PKR members to close ranks and build up the party, irrespective of who they voted for. She said, as PKR deputy president, the responsibility to shore up support for the party fell on her shoulders, especially since prime minister and party president Anwar Ibrahim's full focus was on leading the country. Hisommudin, Ilham Centre's executive director, said Nurul Izzah's statement was a necessary step towards reconciliation within PKR after a rather heated internal election. He said the PKR leadership must make an honest evaluation of the extent of the party's loss of support, particularly among its previously loyal supporters. Hisommudin said PKR must also establish a constructive narrative to manage negative perceptions against the party, especially claims of nepotism. To that end, he said Nurul Izzah must demonstrate that she is at least as capable as Rafizi—if not superior—in terms of competence and leadership. 'She will only be able to silence her critics by displaying an impeccable reputation. 'Nurul Izzah must show herself to be deserving of her position as deputy president, and that she did not win the post simply because she is Anwar's daughter,' he said.
