Snowmageddon | Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies
Your Look Ahead from Summa Strategies
- 5 minute read
Provincial Updates
A look at the top news across the country.
What We're Watching
Find out what issues Summa consultants are tracking and why they matter
Show Me The Money – The Conservatives have again dominated the headlines with record-breaking fundraising. The CPC raised more than $35 million from about 200,000 donors last year. While the party traditionally outperforms its rivals, this is notable given that 2023 was not an election year, nor did it involve a leadership race. This is a strong indication of an energized Conservative base.
Strong fundraising is only half of the battle. How will the CPC leverage its financial advantage with no campaign on the immediate horizon? Many have predicted that the federal Conservatives will spend their windfall on even more ads on TV and social media promoting leader Pierre Poilievre. As the political discourse heats up and the election draws nearer, the distribution of this ad spend will be a key indicator as to what regions and demographics are a priority for the Tories.
Ms. Smith goes to Ottawa – Last week, Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith announced controversial plans to limit access to certain health services for transgender youth, while also requiring parental consent for sexual education and pronoun changes at school. Smith’s announcement came just days before a planned visit to Ottawa this week.
While the prime minister and his cabinet were quick to condemn these policies, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has yet to address Alberta’s plan and his office advised Conservative MPs to avoid commenting. The party’s membership endorsed adding similar measures to their policy playbook at the most recent CPC convention, with 69 per cent of delegates voting to restrict youth access to gender-affirming care. How federal Conservatives navigate the attention on Premier Smith and her policies will be key to watch this week and as Alberta moves to implement these measures.
MAiD déjà vu – The federal government is again delaying the expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) for people suffering solely from mental illness. The government agreed with a parliamentary committee that the healthcare system still isn’t ready to address the question of how to provide MAiD for people with mental illness.
The government finds itself in a Kobayashi Maru situation – a no-win scenario. This debate will surely ignite strong reactions inside and outside of the House, and will require some procedural wrangling from the Liberals to get the bill passed in short order. How they handle that, and how the opposition responds, will be important to watch throughout the session.
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