Harper kicks off longest election campaign in recent history

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This article was published 02/08/2015 (3749 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

2015 Manitoba federal riding map

OTTAWA – Canadians will go to the polls in 79 days after Prime Minister Stephen Harper kicked off the longest election campaign in modern Canadian history this morning.

On a sunny day at Rideau Hall, with tourists mingling and Sunday morning joggers being rerouted, Harper said it’s time for an election since everyone was campaigning already anyway.

“It’s important these campaigns be funded by the parties themselves and not the taxpayer,” he said.

Harper argues by calling the election early all the campaigning will be done within the bounds of election law.

However he dismissed any questions pointing out by calling it early taxpayers will be on the hook for an estimated $300 million in additional election expenses.

He also rejected allegations he is doing this to take further advantage of his party’s deeper pockets saying the Conservatives would be wealthier and more organized no matter when he called the election, and said if he started campaigning and hasn’t called the election he would be criticized.

Several sources suggest Harper wants to bleed his opponents dry by ramping up spending limits. He changed election law recently to increase spending limits for every additional day of a campaign beyond the minimum 37 days.

It means he and other parties with full slates of 338 candidates can spend about $54 million instead of $25 million. Taxpayers will rebate half those costs to any party that achieves at least two per cent of the national vote.

Candidates can also spend more and Elections Canada will spend millions more on salaries, office rentals and other operating expenses.

Harper says this election will be about who is best positioned to improve Canada’s economy and protect Canada’s security.

“This election is about the big issues that affect us all – the economy and national security,” he said.

His campaign slogan appears to be “Proven leadership. Strong Canada.”

NDP leader Tom Mulcair said this election is time for change and accused Harper of having the worst economic growth record of any prime minister.

“Clearly, Mr. Harper, your plan isn’t working,” Mulcair said.

Mulcair also pledged to create a fairer and more prosperous Canada.

“Our offer to Canadians is clear — a government that stands up for middle-class families and the communities where they live, a government that grows the economy and creates stable, full-time jobs while protecting the environment,” he said.

Sources tell the Free Press while the fundraising advantage and extra spending room is certainly a boom, one of the main reasons the Conservatives wanted to call the election a month early was to prevent a massive third-party advertising campaign.

Engage Canada, an anti-Conservative labour-sponsored organization, had already started running ads against the Harper government and had a major ad buy in the works which the Conservatives feared.

One of their ads in particular is felt to be very effective. The storm ad has an ominous sky in the background and quotes several sources including the Economist and the Wall Street Journal about Canada being in a recession. It accuses the Conservatives of cutting $36 billion from health care to give tax breaks to the wealthy, and then brings up ghost-like images of Sen. Mike Duffy and Harper, while the narrator says:

“What do you get. More deceit. More scandals. Worn out politicians who’d leave you on your own in a gathering storm. The Harper Conservatives. They won’t be there for you.”

The ad just launched last week but now that the election is underway, third-parties are limited in how much they can spend.

The limit for a 37-day campaign for third parties is $205,800, and they can spend an additional $5,562 per day for every day beyond that. In this campaign that will add $233,604 to their total, bringing the limit to $239,404. But until the writ dropped today third parties were not subject to any limits.

Harper once went to the Supreme Court to challenge limits on third party advertising during an election.

Harper himself appeared less energetic than he has at the start of past campaigns, although his feisty side appeared under questioning from reporters about the cost of the campaign.

Harper heads to Montreal for a party rally tonight. The Conservatives didn’t do well in Quebec in 2011 but are poised to pick up some seats in that province this time.

Perhaps that is why Harper kicked off today’s appearance in French. He delivered his entire opening remarks at the news conference in French first before switching to English.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, in Vancouver to attend the city’s Pride parade today, began the campaign by saying he’ll make change happen for Canadians, specifically the middle class.

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“I believe the prime minister has three main jobs: keep the country united, keep Canadians safe, and give everyone — the Canadian people — a real and fair chance to succeed. That’s what our plan will do. That’s what our team is committed to fighting for. And that’s what this election truly will be all about.”

Opposition parties are counting on the struggling Canadian economy and a wide dislike for Harper’s governing style to help propel the Conservatives out of office after almost 10 years.

However, the Harper Conservatives are the most well funded of the parties and he is the most experienced at campaigning. This is the first national campaign for Trudeau and Mulcair.

The three leaders will face off directly later this week in the first leaders’ debate on Aug. 6.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca