New Democrats say they’re rolling out a new line of attack against the Conservatives┬аas their leader┬аPierre Poilievre┬аtargets┬аNDP-held┬аridings.
On Tuesday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh started dropping a new line тАФ “The price of Pierre Poilievre” тАФ an echo of┬аPoilievre’s┬аfrequent references to what he calls the “Liberal-NDP costly coalition.”
The party is also pushing for passage of the┬аpharmacare┬аbill тАФ C-64, one of the centrepieces of its confidence and supply deal with the Liberals тАФ before Parliament rises for the summer. The party says it wants to┬аuse it and other policy wins to advance its strategy.
“The price of Pierre is something people are afraid of,” Singh said in┬аThunder Bay, Ont.┬аon Tuesday. “The price of Pierre would mean life costs more, less services, less access to programs you need.
“No more dental care. No more pharmacare. That is a serious price.”
The party hopes to reframe how Canadians see Poilievre. Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary in the House of Commons, admits the message’s substance isn’t really different from what New Democrats have been saying for a while.
McGrath said the next election is expected to yield a change in government. Polls show the Liberals bleeding considerable support and the Conservatives in a position to win in a landslide.
“[Canadians] are fed up with the federal government.┬аThey want a change,” McGrath said. “We intend to make it clear that change can be a positive change.”
McGrath said the NDP will continue highlighting the things its parliamentary caucus obtained through the confidence and supply┬аagreement with the Liberals, such as the Canadian Dental Care Plan┬аand an early version of pharmacare. That agreement┬аsees New Democrats support┬аbills put forward by the Liberal minority government┬аin exchange for policy wins on NDP priorities.
McGrath said a Conservative government would put those NDP gains┬аat risk.
“(Voters) should be looking at the kinds of things that Pierre probably will take away from them,” she said.
Poilievre has not said explicitly he would scrap┬аdental care, pharmacare or the federal government’s┬аnational child care plan. He has, however, criticized the effectiveness of these programs, or noted that some have yet to be implemented.
As he tours the country in preparation for the next election campaign, Poilievre has been spending time in┬аNDP battleground ridings in northern Ontario and all over British Columbia.
Several NDP riding presidents say they have been┬аpaying attention to the resources┬аConservatives have been pouring into their districts.
“We’re going to see a battle with the Conservatives,” said Don Bonner,┬аNDP riding president for Nanaimo Ladysmith. “They are taking this riding very seriously.”
In metro Vancouver, the NDP riding association┬аin New Westminster-Burnaby┬атАФ typically an NDP stronghold тАФ has been holding neighbourhood canvassing sessions┬аthat reach about 200 people monthly. A team of volunteers also phones constituents, informing seniors that they can apply for subsidized dental care.
“We don’t take anything for granted,” said the riding association’s president┬аDoris Mah. “We have to earn people’s vote.”
Recent polling analysis by the Writ.ca shows a number of B.C. NDP ridings could be in play. Even Singh’s own riding could turn blue. The publisher of the online website, Eric Grenier, notes that polls show New Democrats are losing momentum.
“It does seem like the NDP has been losing some support, primarily to the Conservatives, over the last little while,” Grenier said.
Grenier said that with their current polling numbers, New Democrats probably aren’t at risk of losing party status. He said while the party may lose seats out west, it might pick up seats in downtown Toronto, Halifax┬аand St. John’s since the Liberals are performing so badly in the polls.
Grenier said the numbers are not low enough to plunge New Democrats “into panic mode” and┬аthe party has seen lower┬аnumbers in the past.
“But the trend line is not going in the right direction,” Grenier said.
Former NDP communications director George Soule, now a principal at the strategic communications firm Syntax, agreed now is not the time for New Democrats to freak out. He also dismissed suggestions┬аthat the recent departure of veteran NDP MPs signals the party is in trouble.
At least six of the party’s MPs тАФ┬аRandall Garrison, Rachel Blaney, Richard Cannings, Charlie Angus, Carol Hughes and Daniel Blaikie тАФ┬аwon’t fight the next federal election. Blaikie is taking a job with Manitoba’s NDP Premier Wab Kinew. Hughes’┬аriding is disappearing after changes were made to the┬аelectoral map. Others have said they are stepping down for personal reasons, or because they want to spend more time with their loved ones.
Soule argues the party has attracted some well-known candidates┬аlike Maya Tait, mayor of Sooke B.C., who is running in Garrison’s old riding of┬аEsquimalt-Saanich-Sooke.
Soule also said the party is in better financial shape now, having paid off its campaign debt well in advance of┬аthe next election. The party is even fundraising off┬аthe challenge posed by┬аthe Conservatives by reopening its “Blue vs. Orange Battleground Fund.”
“It’s easy to tell stories about the NDP dying,” Soule said, citing┬аthe 2011 election breakthrough that┬аcatapulted it into Official Opposition for the first time.
“(It) was a good election that proved тАФ don’t bury us until we’re gone.”
