Welcome back to the Political Pulse podcast! I hosted an engaging livestream on the fallout from Canada's 45th general election along with Jennifer Laewetz, founder of Paskwâw Strategies, and Keith Sheppard, former Conservative Party staffer and consultant at Paskwâw Strategies.
We started with the news about MP-elect Damien Kurek resigning his Battle Rover-Crowfoot seat to allow Pierre Poilievre to run in a by-election, discussing whether Alberta was the best choice for Poilievre's return to Parliament.
Our conversation took a deep dive into the Conservative campaign's shortcomings and how the party failed to pivot, despite having a significant lead going into the election. Keith pointed out how Trudeau's resignation and Trump's election completely changed the political chessboard; Jennifer emphasized the importance of building unity across factions rather than enforcing ideological purity tests. We explored the tensions between provincial Conservative leaders like Doug Ford and the federal party, and how unelected staffers may have limited MPs' effectiveness.
We also discussed the collapse of the NDP, which lost official party status and was completely wiped out in Ontario. Both guests shared their perspectives on the party's fall into ideological purity politics and identity-based messaging that alienated their traditional working-class base. With Vancouver MP Don Davies just being named as interim NDP leader, we discussed potential paths forward - including the possibility of some members crossing to the Liberals.
As Canada appears to be moving toward a two-party system, both Jennifer and Keith emphasized the need for constructive criticism in parties and more grassroots involvement. Tune in to this episode to hear about where our democracy stands after this transformative election.
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