Political parties shift to campaign footing
Ignatieff's declaration sets operatives in motion
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/09/2009 (6165 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA — Michael Ignatieff’s declaration this week that his Liberals could no longer support the Conservative government was like the bell calling firefighters to action at the station.
Political operatives from all major parties immediately swung into campaign mode, readying everything from modes of transportation to their team of partisan foot soldiers.
Senior Conservative staffers met earlier in the week to discuss some of the practicalities of campaigning. That includes who will stay behind to answer the phones in ministerial offices, and who will take leave and work for the party.
A Conservative source said the party has an Air Canada jet on 24-hour call, and can organize the campaign buses on extremely short notice. Newly minted Senator Doug Finley will continue on at the helm of the campaign, while the party’s new director of political operations, Jenni Byrne, will be his second-in-command.
Conservative election whiz Patrick Muttart is set to return to advise the party during the election, although he is working for an American public affairs firm in Chicago. Muttart helped deliver government to Harper by targeting small groups of voters in ridings that were just within the party’s grasp. He was Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s former deputy chief of staff.
Tory insiders point out that while their leader is not keen to go into an election, and there have been several changes in his office, the party feels comfortable given this would be the fourth run in five years with roughly the same team in place.
"They’ve got a well-oiled machine and they’ve got the people to make it work," said the Conservative.
The Liberals are also putting the finishing touches on their election plans.
One source said the party has secured transportation from "one of the major airlines," differentiating from the 29-year-old Air Inuit jet they scrambled to air during the last election.
— The Canadian Press