Lynton Crosby

Tuesday September 22, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Tuesday September 22, 2015 Stephen Harper 'playing a very divisive game' with niqabs, Tom Mulcair says Stephen Harper is "playing a very divisive game" with his government's effort to impose a ban on niqabs during the citizenship oath, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said Monday, just days before a French-language debate in Quebec Ñ a province in which identity politics continues to drive a wedge between voters. "I'm not about the politics of fear and division. Mr. Harper is going to always go after that. If he senses that there's something there that can divide Canadians one against the other, he'll do it," said Mulcair during a morning campaign stop in Nova Scotia. The Bloc QuŽbŽcois has also taken up the issue, saying it would go even further than the Tories and impose a ban on face coverings during citizenship ceremonies and in the voting booth. For his part, Mulcair has had to negotiate a tricky path on the issue. His party needs to retain the hard-won votes it secured in Quebec in 2011, but cannot risk losing support in the diverse suburbs of Toronto and Vancouver, where voters appear to be opposed to the government's effort to impose a ban. Part of his approach has been to accuse Harper of dog-whistle politics. "He talks about 'old stock Canadians,'" Mulcair said this morning, alluding to a comment Harper made during last week's leaders' debate in Calgary. "That's a code word. He knows what he's doing when he does that." Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said earlier this week that the Grits have "always been crystal clear" about their opposition to a ban on niqabs and other veils. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-niqab-bloc-1.3236837 Canada, Stephen Harper, dog whistle, politics, dogs, social media, old stock Canadians, code, hidden agenda, racism, Lynton Crosby, twitter, facebook

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday September 22, 2015

Stephen Harper ‘playing a very divisive game’ with niqabs, Tom Mulcair says

Stephen Harper is “playing a very divisive game” with his government’s effort to impose a ban on niqabs during the citizenship oath, NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said Monday, just days before a French-language debate in Quebec — a province in which identity politics continues to drive a wedge between voters.

Friday March 13, 2015“I’m not about the politics of fear and division. Mr. Harper is going to always go after that. If he senses that there’s something there that can divide Canadians one against the other, he’ll do it,” said Mulcair during a morning campaign stop in Nova Scotia.

The Bloc Québécois has also taken up the issue, saying it would go even further than the Tories and impose a ban on face coverings during citizenship ceremonies and in the voting booth.

For his part, Mulcair has had to negotiate a tricky path on the issue. His party needs to retain the hard-won votes it secured in Quebec in 2011, but cannot risk losing support in the diverse suburbs of Toronto and Vancouver, where voters appear to be opposed to the government’s effort to impose a ban.

Part of his approach has been to accuse Harper of dog-whistle politics.

“He talks about ‘old stock Canadians,'” Mulcair said this morning, alluding to a comment Harper made during last week’s leaders’ debate in Calgary.

“That’s a code word. He knows what he’s doing when he does that.”

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said earlier this week that the Grits have “always been crystal clear” about their opposition to a ban on niqabs and other veils. (Source: CBC News)

Saskatoo Star Phoenix, September 23, 2015

Saskatoo Star Phoenix, September 23, 2015

Saturday, September 12, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Saturday, September 12, 2015 Stephen Harper is going Down Under to come up on top. With polls suggesting the Conservatives are struggling in third place, the party has reached out to Lynton Crosby, a top Australian political campaign strategist who has been credited with securing victories for British Prime Minister David Cameron and other right-leaning leaders. Crosby, known as the "Wizard of Oz" for his string of political successes, is working with the Tories as their campaign tries to regain momentum after a series of negative headlines. But the exact role he will play is unclear. Conservative campaign spokesman Kory Teneycke would only say that "Crosby is somebody that pretty much everyone in our organization has known for a long time, we've had a lot of cross-pollination over the years with our friends in Australia and also the U.K." Teneycke wouldn't get into details, but denied Crosby was running the campaign, adding, however, "he's been around for a very long time and continues to be around." Crosby is widely acknowledged for playing a key role in the surprising majority victory of Cameron's Conservative Party in Britain this year. He was also the national campaign director for the successful campaigns of former Australia prime minister John Howard in 1998 and 2001 and was behind the winning London mayoral campaigns of Boris Johnson in 2008 and 2012. He has been described as the Australian Karl Rove, after the key adviser to former U.S president George W. Bush. According to a Guardian profile of him, Crosby employs the strategy of wedge politics Ñ finding an issue that can be exploited to split off an opponent's traditional supporters. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-election-2015-lynton-crosby-conservatives-1.3223315 Canada, election, #elxn2015, Lynton Crosby, migrants, refugees, Stephen Harper, crisis, polls, compassion

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, September 12, 2015

Lynton Crosby, Australian strategist, hired by Tories to boost political fortunes

Stephen Harper is going Down Under to come up on top.

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday September 9, 2015 Canada Election Shifts Gears After Trying Summer for Harper After a month of campaigning, the three-way race for CanadaÕs Oct. 19 election has narrowed as warning signs emerge for Prime Minister Stephen Harper in his bid for a fourth consecutive term. The incumbent Conservative has endured an explosive court case, talk of a recession and a refugee crisis that have eroded his traditional core platform planks: accountability and economic stewardship. Tom Mulcair of the leftist New Democratic Party and Justin Trudeau of the centrist Liberals, meanwhile, are each working to position themselves as the best alternative to Harper. Polls have shown the three parties essentially tied -- though one, published Monday night by Nanos Research, suggests Harper has sunk to third place. The deadlock may break as Canada emerges from an end-of-summer long weekend, with students returning to classrooms and workers settling back into routine. ÒThe campaign to date has been largely a phone campaign producing little attention,Ó said Frank Graves of Ekos Research. ÒAll of this will change post-Labour Day as the real war for votes begins in earnest.Ó An Ekos poll published Friday showed MulcairÕs New Democrats in the lead with 30.2 percent support, HarperÕs Conservatives at 29.5 percent and TrudeauÕs Liberals close behind at 27.7 percent. MondayÕs Nanos survey, conducted for CTV and The Globe and Mail, found the NDP ahead with 32.7 percent, followed by the Liberals at 30.8 percent and Harper at 26.2 percent. The electionÕs first month included two weeks of testimony in the criminal trial of former Conservative senator Mike Duffy that exposed the inner workings of HarperÕs office and a plan to cover up disputed expenses. While explosive, that testimony has largely been forgotten now, Graves said. (Source: Bloomberg) http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-08/canada-s-election-shifts-ge

With polls suggesting the Conservatives are struggling in third place, the party has reached out to Lynton Crosby, a top Australian political campaign strategist who has been credited with securing victories for British Prime Minister David Cameron and other right-leaning leaders.

Crosby, known as the “Wizard of Oz” for his string of political successes, is working with the Tories as their campaign tries to regain momentum after a series of negative headlines.

But the exact role he will play is unclear. Conservative campaign spokesman Kory Teneycke would only say that “Crosby is somebody that pretty much everyone in our organization has known for a long time, we’ve had a lot of cross-pollination over the years with our friends in Australia and also the U.K.”

Teneycke wouldn’t get into details, but denied Crosby was running the campaign, adding, however, “he’s been around for a very long time and continues to be around.”

2011-2015

2011-2015

Crosby is widely acknowledged for playing a key role in the surprising majority victory of Cameron’s Conservative Party in Britain this year. He was also the national campaign director for the successful campaigns of former Australia prime minister John Howard in 1998 and 2001 and was behind the winning London mayoral campaigns of Boris Johnson in 2008 and 2012.

He has been described as the Australian Karl Rove, after the key adviser to former U.S president George W. Bush. According to a Guardian profile of him, Crosby employs the strategy of wedge politics — finding an issue that can be exploited to split off an opponent’s traditional supporters. (Source: CBC News)

(St. John's) Telegram, September 15, 2015

(St. John’s) Telegram, September 15, 2015