By-Election Breakdown
While the House Returns, Liberals face another set back Voters were sent to the polls in two federal ridings last night – with the results showing how the dynamics in federal politics have changed. The NDP were able to hold onto the Manitoba seat in Elmwood—Transcona against the ascendant Conservatives while the Bloc Québécois scored an […]
Counsel Adds Conservative Firepower to its Federal Team
Counsel Public Affairs is pleased to announce that Amber Ruddy, Vice President, will be joining the federal practice. With over five years of experience at the firm in our Alberta practice, Amber will add a federal focus to her duties and lead our roster of federal Conservative consultants. Amber previously worked in the Harper government and […]
Pierre’s Picks: Ridings to Watch for the Next Federal Election
With the NDP withdrawing their support from the Confidence and Supply Agreement, the next federal election could happen at any time between now and October 2025. Candidate recruitment is a top priority for each political party. As the Conservative Party of Canada has maintained a strong lead in the polls, they have been able to attract high-quality candidates from across the country. Let’s take a closer look at some formidable candidates who will undoubtedly take up key roles in a […]
With Falcon Gone, BC Election is Now Deadlocked
With the risk of stating the obvious, the decision last week by BC United Leader Kevin Falcon to suspend his party’s campaign has changed the entire complexion of the upcoming provincial election. You can throw any pre-election analysis done before last week out of the window. Now that Falcon has folded up his campaign tent, […]
Counsel Promotes Will Shelling to Account Director
Counsel is proud to announce the promotion of Will Shelling to Account Director. Will is a talented strategist who uses his passion for intersectionality, data, and policy to come to robust solutions. He approaches clients with curiosity, using his lived, academic, and professional experiences to uniquely support their campaigns. “Will has a rare ability to see the […]
2025 Federal Pre-Budget Consultations
Crafting a successful pre-budget submission in today’s political climate What goes into a good budget submission? Days after the 2024 Budget Bill was passed into law, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance (FINA) has issued their yearly call for pre-budget briefs from stakeholders. The submission deadline is August 2, 2024. If you are thinking about advancing a proposal […]
The Breakthrough Byelection: the Liberals’ “Fortress GTA” falls, creating an inevitable crisis in leadership confidence for the Trudeau “movement”
In a shocking upset, the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) led by Pierre Poilievre have won the Toronto—St. Paul’s byelection. The victory represents a notable turning point for both the Liberals and Conservatives. The Liberals have comfortably held the riding of Toronto—St. Paul’s since 1993, while the Conservatives had not won a riding in Toronto […]
Manitoba NDP By-election Win Throws Old Conventional Wisdom Out the Window
In Manitoba, there are supposed to be three certainties: death, taxes and the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives winning any election in the riding of Tuxedo. Tuxedo is supposed to be among the safest of safe constituencies for the PCs, one that they held since the electoral district was first drawn in 1981 and well before that […]
Premier Ford Refreshes Cabinet
Amid early election rumours, Premier Ford refreshes Cabinet and adjourns legislature until late October. Just two years from when Ontarians gave Premier Ford and his PCs a majority government, Queen’s Park watchers have been debating the pros, cons, and historic lessons of calling early elections. Driving this are questions about what the political impact in […]
For Nenshi, Purple and Orange are Complementary Colours
The recent announcement that the Alberta NDP has grown to more than 85,000 members during the provincial leadership campaign has inevitably shifted the conversation to who has the best chance of leading this formidable political organization. When I was part of the NDP’s four-member caucus, along with current leader Rachel Notley, former leader Brian Mason, […]