Attack by association

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 9:26 AM - 0 Comments

The Saskatchewan Party has released an ad that uses Thomas Mulcair to attack the candidates for leader of the provincial NDP.

The SaskParty has injected itself into the NDP leadership contest, releasing an ad attempting to link the four contenders to comments made earlier this year by federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair … “The people of Saskatchewan, I think, need to know where the leadership candidates for the NDP are on Mr. Mulcair’s statement on dutch disease here in our province,” said SaskParty cabinet minister Bill Boyd.

It’s a debate Erin Weir, one of the four contenders in the race, is happy to have. “I think our federal NDP leader, Tom Mulcair, raises a valid question,” Weir said.  “Saskatchewan has lost 5,500 manufacturing jobs since Premier Wall took over.”

It’s interesting to see a party running attack ads against another party’s candidates for leadership instead of waiting to see who wins that leadership race.

‘Lying liars’

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 at 12:14 PM - 0 Comments

A new online ad from the NDP.

‘Make them pay now for what they’re doing’

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, June 25, 2012 at 5:09 PM - 0 Comments

Here, again, is the context for the direct quote of Thomas Mulcair’s that appears in the new Conservative attack ad.

What did he mean by it? Well, in the next sentence he refers to the “polluter pay” principle.

As noted here previously, “polluter pay” is a principle to which the Conservatives—or at least Stephen Harper and John Baird—have pledged allegiance in the past.

Conservatives launch their first attack ad against Mulcair

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, June 25, 2012 at 12:10 PM - 0 Comments

The Conservatives launch their first attack ad against Thomas Mulcair.

French ad here.

The “carbon tax” allegation is apparently a reference to Mr. Mulcair’s plans for a cap-and-trade system. As recently as December 2009, the Harper government was openly pursuing a cap-and-trade system.

The one quote that is cited—”make them pay now for what they’re doing”—is taken from an interview with CBC’s The House in May. You can listen to that interview in its entirety here, but here is the quote in its immediate context. Continue…

Bob Rae laughing

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, March 19, 2012 at 8:15 AM - 0 Comments

A new video clip from the Conservative side.

There is also an upbeat ad. The Sun suggests these will run on television.

This woman seems very concerned

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 2:43 PM - 158 Comments

The Conservative spot that seems in highest rotation at the moment.

Loose change

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, April 25, 2011 at 12:39 PM - 33 Comments

A new spot from the Liberal side.

A more upbeat pitch is here.

'Not so fast, Jack'

By Aaron Wherry - Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 11:02 AM - 67 Comments

The Liberals take a few shots at Mr. Layton’s side.

Truth in advertising

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 22, 2011 at 4:06 PM - 41 Comments

While noting the Conservative campaign’s interest in factual accuracy, the NDP quibbles on various points raised in the new Conservative attack ad.

Coming off a week where the Conservatives were pretty testy about misquotes in TV ads, Stephen Harper released ads that were full of made-up stuff … Making stuff up in TV ads is more proof that Ottawa is broken.

The highest compliment

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 22, 2011 at 11:30 AM - 138 Comments

The Conservative side directs an attack ad at Jack Layton.

Back and forth

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 12:22 PM - 12 Comments

While the Conservatives aim an attack ad at an attack ad that is no longer running, the Liberals release a new spot based on their online poll.

Stephen Harper and the Canada Health Act

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, April 18, 2011 at 1:32 PM - 190 Comments

Greetings from the Northwest Territories, where the Conservative and Liberal campaigns have come to debate Stephen Harper’s feelings for the Canada Health Act.

Specifically, the Conservative side is demanding that the Liberal side pull an ad that suggests Mr. Harper once suggested aloud that the Canada Health Act be scrapped. The ad cites the Globe and Mail, but it now seems the comment in question should have been attributed to a different former president of the National Citizens Coalition. (The Globe has now added a correction to the article in question.)

The Conservatives further claim that Mr. Harper “has always supported the Canada Health Act.” There may be quibbles on that point to be found below in the backgrounder the Liberal campaign has distributed, which sets out their sourcing for the ad in question (including, er, Maclean’s) and other comments attributed to Mr. Harper.

Speaking with reporters here, Mr. Ignatieff said that if the Liberal ad is mistaken, necessary action will be taken. Indeed, the Liberals now say they will replace the “scrapped” quote from the current ad with one of the other comments cited here. Furthermore, they say they will post an online poll to ask Canadians which of Mr. Harper’s quotes should be used in the new cut.

Continue…

Jack Layton knows where he stands, even when he's sitting

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 2:11 PM - 16 Comments

A new advert from the New Democrats.

A companion piece is here.

About that $11-billion

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 2:39 PM - 55 Comments

The latest spot from the Liberal side.

'It's just the beginning'

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 11:28 AM - 16 Comments

The latest spot from the Conservative side. The Bull Meter has already taken this one apart. Michael Geist, meanwhile, questions the copyright levy the government is already imposing (and has no plans to rescind).

Trainwreck

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 4:25 PM - 8 Comments

The latest spot from the Liberal side.

When Michael Ignatieff's hair was longer

By Aaron Wherry - Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 12:23 PM - 160 Comments

The Liberals have released three new English clips: one on their family care program, one on the Liberal leader’s experience as a teacher and one on the Liberal leader’s experience as a journalist. There is also a French ad on the red door analogy.

'Not so great'

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 8, 2011 at 1:55 PM - 30 Comments

The latest spot from the NDP.

How this works

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 11:45 AM - 81 Comments

Chris Selley posts the context for the latest clipped quote to appear in an attack ad.

A couple months ago I posted the article from which Mr. Ignatieff’s “beer label” reference is drawn. Last month Dan Gardner considered the context for Conservative criticism of something Mr. Ignatieff had said about Canada’s peacekeeping reputation.

'Stop creeping'

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 12:18 PM - 196 Comments

The latest clip from the Liberal shop.

The $6-billion conundrum

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, April 4, 2011 at 9:30 AM - 58 Comments

The Liberals say the Conservative plan to reduce the corporate tax rate amounts to a $6-billion tax cut.

But economist Stephen Gordon says they’re wrong.

But the Conservatives say the Liberal plan to raise the corporate tax rate amounts to a $6-billion tax hike.

But in a new attack ad, the Conservatives use a quote from this debunking the $6-billion figure to suggest the Liberals are mistaken.

But the Liberals say the Conservatives’ own words substantiate their projections.

Unlike Stephen Harper, Jack Layton doesn't wear a suit jacket

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, April 1, 2011 at 4:41 PM - 24 Comments

The latest from the NDP.

Coalition watch

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 4:49 PM - 7 Comments

The NDP has nominated a new candidate in Elgin-Middlesex-London.

Rest assured, the Conservative managed to rush out a new attack ad before their preferred narrative was undermined.

Jack Layton, now in profile

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 4:04 PM - 6 Comments

The NDP objects to the performance of medical procedures in donut shops.

The party’s second new spot is here.