October 4, 2019
Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 4, 2019
Here’s how often Trudeau has called out Harper, Ford instead of Scheer
It’s no secret to those following the federal election campaign that Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau seems to be going after former prime minister Stephen Harper as much, if not more, than Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.
September 26, 2019
But just how much more?
Roughly 33 per cent.
Global News has been tracking how many times at official events and media availabilities each of the two front runners reference the other — or others entirely.
That does not include photo ops, whistlestops or unscheduled remarks.
Those records show Trudeau has referenced Harper (in English) at speeches and campaign stops a total of 62 times so far over the last 21 days.
Scheer, on the other hand, has mentioned Trudeau 326 times so far in the campaign.
May 30, 2017
That’s equal to roughly seven times the amount that Trudeau mentioned him.
Global News reached out to both parties asking about their attacks but didn’t receive clear answers to the question of why they were focusing on the attacks seen so far: a Conservative spokesperson accused Trudeau of being afraid to run on his record and whipping up fear, while a Liberal said the choice for voters is whether to return to the same kinds of policies seen under the Harper and Ford governments.
A source working with Ford’s government also echoed the federal party remarks when asked about the number of times Trudeau has brought up Ford, accusing Trudeau of “banking on the fact that he can make Ontarians afraid.”
October 28, 2016
“The reason that Scheer is pounding on Trudeau is because the entire Liberal brand is Trudeau. So if you’re going to rough up the Liberals, it starts with their leader and he also knows Trudeau is a controversial figure in Canada now,” said Darrell Bricker, president of Ipsos.
“For the people who don’t like him, he is a hot button so every time he [Scheer] gets a chance to push it, he does.”
Bricker said the same isn’t true for Scheer, who polls suggest remains an undefined brand in the minds of voters.
April 17, 2019
“He’s not the Conservative brand the same way Trudeau is the Liberal brand,” Bricker said. “So what the Liberals are trying to do on the other side, because he is a bit of a blank slate, they’ve got their chalk out and they’re trying to colour him in.”
The way they’re trying to do that, Bricker said, is by making direct links in voters’ minds to two other highly controversial figures: Ford and Harper.
According to a poll by Angus Reid last week, half of Ontario voters say their opinions of Ford and his government will sway their vote on Oct. 21, with 85 per cent of those saying Ford’s government will make them less likely to support Scheer and the federal Conservatives. (Global)