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Michael Ignatieff's Liberals are stepping up their election readiness, preparing attack ads against the Harper Conservatives and discussing two dates in November as the most likely scenario for a vote.
The Liberal Leader has already posed for campaign pictures at his official residence, Stornoway. And as many as 40 candidates out of a possible 75 in Quebec will be nominated by Labour Day.
Senator David Smith, one of the co-chairs of the national campaign, says the Liberals are in “good shape” in the rest of Canada as well with the bulk of the 233 other candidates ready to go by mid-September.
In an interview that appeared yesterday in the French-language newspaper Le Devoir, Mr. Ignatieff said he is “reflecting on when to call an election.”
The shift in Liberal focus comes amid criticism from political observers of Mr. Ignatieff's lost summer – one that some believe he has squandered, failing to tell Canadians why the Harper government should be defeated and what he would do if he were prime minister.
Many Liberals were in momentary disbelief yesterday after the weekend release of a devastating national opinion poll that showed the Conservatives with an 11-point lead over the Liberals.
But there was deep skepticism around the poll. Even Harper Tories questioned it, sending out “talking points” to their MPs, noting the poll is not consistent with other polling. A Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll released yesterday afternoon put the two parties in a statistical tie, where they have been all summer.
Mr. Ignatieff is in the Northwest Territories this week where he plans to take some holidays in advance of meeting his caucus in Sudbury for its annual summer retreat next week. MPs and senators will be briefed on election readiness and national poll numbers at that time.
Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale said several issues will inform Mr. Ignatieff's decision on whether to try to bring down the government, chief among them: determining what progress has been made on the key Liberal issue of reforming employment insurance, the overall state of the fiscal framework and whether the government has moved beyond “photo opportunities and re-announcements of old news” when it comes to infrastructure.
It will take all three opposition parties to defeat the government. And the Liberals will have their first opportunity to bring in a no-confidence motion in late September or early October. If successful, it would trigger an election around the dates in November that are being discussed, Nov. 9 and Nov. 16.
As for a Liberal campaign plane, Mr. Smith was more circumspect, saying that was “under control.” The Liberals had difficulty in the last election securing a plane. Mr. Smith said the recession, which has led to fewer people flying, has given the Liberals more options.
Darrell Bricker, the Ipsos-Reid pollster who conducted the poll showing the huge Tory lead, defended his numbers yesterday, saying the Liberals are lacking momentum, in part because Mr. Ignatieff is a “cipher.” Canadians don't know him or his policies.
But Albina Guarnieri, a senior Ontario Liberal MP who chairs Mr. Ignatieff's early-morning strategy group when the House is sitting, says the summer really isn't the time to do that. No one is really paying attention.
She says Mr. Ignatieff will begin soon to “showcase his ideas and he'll make his case.”
Liberals defend Mr. Ignatieff, saying he has been touring the country, meeting the grassroots. As well, he did not take his usual holiday in Europe, spending time instead in Ottawa in July, working on his speeches and his platform.
“It's notoriously tough for opposition parties to get much national ink (especially in the summer). Where Michael has been coverage has been positive and response has been good,” said Toronto Liberal MP Bob Rae. “Things will come together in Sudbury, and parliamentary life will get refocused at end of September. … Then we'll see.”
The Liberal Leader has already posed for campaign pictures at his official residence, Stornoway. And as many as 40 candidates out of a possible 75 in Quebec will be nominated by Labour Day.
Senator David Smith, one of the co-chairs of the national campaign, says the Liberals are in “good shape” in the rest of Canada as well with the bulk of the 233 other candidates ready to go by mid-September.
In an interview that appeared yesterday in the French-language newspaper Le Devoir, Mr. Ignatieff said he is “reflecting on when to call an election.”
The shift in Liberal focus comes amid criticism from political observers of Mr. Ignatieff's lost summer – one that some believe he has squandered, failing to tell Canadians why the Harper government should be defeated and what he would do if he were prime minister.
Many Liberals were in momentary disbelief yesterday after the weekend release of a devastating national opinion poll that showed the Conservatives with an 11-point lead over the Liberals.
But there was deep skepticism around the poll. Even Harper Tories questioned it, sending out “talking points” to their MPs, noting the poll is not consistent with other polling. A Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll released yesterday afternoon put the two parties in a statistical tie, where they have been all summer.
Mr. Ignatieff is in the Northwest Territories this week where he plans to take some holidays in advance of meeting his caucus in Sudbury for its annual summer retreat next week. MPs and senators will be briefed on election readiness and national poll numbers at that time.
Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale said several issues will inform Mr. Ignatieff's decision on whether to try to bring down the government, chief among them: determining what progress has been made on the key Liberal issue of reforming employment insurance, the overall state of the fiscal framework and whether the government has moved beyond “photo opportunities and re-announcements of old news” when it comes to infrastructure.
It will take all three opposition parties to defeat the government. And the Liberals will have their first opportunity to bring in a no-confidence motion in late September or early October. If successful, it would trigger an election around the dates in November that are being discussed, Nov. 9 and Nov. 16.
As for a Liberal campaign plane, Mr. Smith was more circumspect, saying that was “under control.” The Liberals had difficulty in the last election securing a plane. Mr. Smith said the recession, which has led to fewer people flying, has given the Liberals more options.
Darrell Bricker, the Ipsos-Reid pollster who conducted the poll showing the huge Tory lead, defended his numbers yesterday, saying the Liberals are lacking momentum, in part because Mr. Ignatieff is a “cipher.” Canadians don't know him or his policies.
But Albina Guarnieri, a senior Ontario Liberal MP who chairs Mr. Ignatieff's early-morning strategy group when the House is sitting, says the summer really isn't the time to do that. No one is really paying attention.
She says Mr. Ignatieff will begin soon to “showcase his ideas and he'll make his case.”
Liberals defend Mr. Ignatieff, saying he has been touring the country, meeting the grassroots. As well, he did not take his usual holiday in Europe, spending time instead in Ottawa in July, working on his speeches and his platform.
“It's notoriously tough for opposition parties to get much national ink (especially in the summer). Where Michael has been coverage has been positive and response has been good,” said Toronto Liberal MP Bob Rae. “Things will come together in Sudbury, and parliamentary life will get refocused at end of September. … Then we'll see.”
While I'd personally be happy with a chance to turf Harper I can't say I'm impressed with Iggy thus far. It's hard to believe he can ride to EI issue to a victory.
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