You might be forgiven if you thought a federal election was imminent.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently paid a visit to Newfoundland and Labrador, meeting with people in Corner Brook, Deer Lake, and Clarenville.
That’s in addition to an increase in political-style ads in social media feeds and on radio and television. Some MPs are even going door-to-door in their constituencies.
While that may lead some to believe a federal election is around the corner, political analyst Tim Powers doesn’t think that’s the case based on recent polling.
Tim Powers (VOCM File Photo.)
Abacus Data polling over the last month shows the federal Conservatives with an eight-point lead over the governing Liberals nationally. “The Prime Minister is not likely to call an election, or force an election, under those circumstances,” says Powers. In addition, the country’s economic circumstances are still difficult, and it’s not in the Prime Minister’s interest to call an election while people are still feeling the economic burden from that.
So why the election-style visits to Newfoundland and Labrador by Pierre Poilievre? Powers says there is a political strategy behind that.
He says when an election is called, a party leader, regardless of the party, normally only gets one, possibly two visits to the province. Powers says what Poilievre appears to be doing is visiting the region often enough prior to an election that voters will remember.
