Daily Archives: September 8, 2021

The former leader, who is widely seen as a decent, smart and dignified man, was urged to build relationships with MPs and change his leadership style following an unsuccessful coup attempt in March.

He hired a new chief of staff, laid out new policies and stepped up attacks on the Premier and the government.

However, he continued to alienate his colleagues, according to MPs. This included barely speaking to or acknowledging the March coup leaders Brad Battin, Ryan Smith and Richard Riordan.

As he ignored them, they had regular conversations over winter with Matthew Guys supporters to heal differences and strike a deal to roll the leader, out of sight of the small and less social group of MPs Mr OBrien relies on as his eyes and ears.

The power lines furore highlighted the tinderbox environment inside the opposition. MPs on thin margins, who fear an electoral wipeout similar to that experienced by the WA Liberal opposition, became increasingly concerned that Mr OBriens policy agenda was philosophically inconsistent and flaccid.

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In late June two weeks after Mr Guy questioned whether border closures were turning the nation into a group of colonies Mr OBrien said the Andrews government should have shut the border to NSW sooner and avoided two removalists entering the state and spawning a COVID-19 outbreak.

The new hardline stance, which Mr OBrien revealed in an interview with The Age, was a departure from the oppositions frequent warnings against disproportionate public health measures. It provoked red-hot anger from MPs who represent border communities and within days the Herald Sun reported the border stance had prompted a renewed push against the leader.

MPs frustration over policy announcements extended to the most trivial of decisions. When the party room last month learnt of a proposed COVID compassion commissioner to champion Victorians and make kinder judgments on compassionate exemptions to public health rules, the position was quickly labelled the cuddle commissioner.

That champion should be the Opposition Leader, one MP said.

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Mr OBriens supporters believe the last month or two have been his best in the job and that he had begun to land some blows, but the die had been cast for months and MPs once loyal to him no longer trusted his decision-making.

Mr Guy is set to revisit the power lines policy to assuage the concerns of MPs and local councils. While praising the new leader for his political nous, one senior Liberal source warned his charm offensive in recent months could backfire as leader.

I dont know what he has promised his colleagues to get here, the source said. If he wants to win he needs good people around him to give him support; he doesnt need to be returning favours.

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Power lines and power plays: How the Liberal Party tinderbox exploded - The Age

The Liberal Party released their election platform this week. Unfortunately no part of the 82-page document explained why they didnt just do all of this instead of calling an election. But we still took the time to break down the most important items for you.

The Liberals will invest $1 billion dollars into proof of vaccine plans. But dont worry, your buddy Eddie who sold you a crappy fake id when you were 18 swears his counterfeit vaccine passport will still work.

The Liberals will establish a minimum tax rule requiring that high-income earners pay at least 15% of their income in taxes annually. According to a study that would be 15% more than they are currently paying, and 60% less than they should be.

The Liberals announced further plans to their already announced plans to combat climate change. But the platform warns that if Canadas emissions continue to rise, they may announce more plans.

First-time home buyers will be allowed to create a tax-free savings account to be used for a downpayment. No word yet on who will put the money into this account.

The Liberals will introduce stricter laws to enforce their assault weapons ban. This ban has about a 73% approval rating among all Canadians, but a 0% approval ratings among Canadians who have an ATV in camo colours and/or have invested heavily in truck nuts.

The party plans to invest billions of dollars in Canadas health care system. The majority of this will be used to protect staff from anti-vaxxers screaming at them on their way in to work, and then to treat those same anti-vaxxers when they get COVID.

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Highlights of the Liberals' election platform - The Beaverton

This is part of a series of profiles of N.W.T.'s five federal election candidates. Another will be published each day.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Michael McLeod was elected MP of the Northwest Territories in 2015, and re-elected in 2019.

McLeod is the former mayor of Fort Providence and was an MLA in the Northwest Territories Legislature for three terms, from 1999 until 2011. In his third term as MLA, from 2007 to 2011, he served as minister of transportation and minister of public works and services.

He lives in Fort Providence.

What are you campaigning on?

Our plan is to continue supports during the pandemic for families and for businesses and organizations. We want to ensure that we develop a healthy economy by creating good jobs, and jobs that are supported by training.

COVID[-19] has put a light on many areas, especially here in the North, where it shows how vulnerable some of our communities are and issues that we have to continue to work on tackling. And that's housing and health care, addictions, climate change.

I'm running for reelection because I'm proud of the work that we've done, proud of our government's record and I want to build on that record to help improve the lives of Northerners.

Do you support the call to have an election now?

You know, things were being delayed. [The budget] was passed in June, the second last day before we rose, the House rose. And we introduced it in April. So it took months and months to get it passed. And those investments should have been flowing by June, and they didn't start flowing until the summer.

So it caused a lot of challenges. And it made us very concerned that going forward, we may hit a point where we couldn't provide the support if we couldn't get all the parties onside. You would think that all parties would work a lot better together during the pandemic, but it wasn't [to be]. There werestill a lot of games being played and it wasn't going to stop.

I think [the] election had to be called at some point, and it would have been this fall. If it wasn't called in August, it would be called in September or October, or else the government would have come to a standstill for sure, and they would have forced us into an election. Everybody was saying they didn't want an election but I think most of us could see the writing on the wall.

How are you making the case for your party leader, Justin Trudeau?

Well, I think a lot of people in the North have seen the accomplishments that we've made in the last six years and are quite happy that the North is finally on the radar and they want to continue. There are people that I've heard from that are saying this wasn't a good time for an election. There are people that are saying, 'I'm not totally happy with your leader.' But for the most part, I think people are happy that the Liberal Party has a good understanding of the Northwest Territories.

What kind of commitments are you able to make on this campaign trail around those relationships [between the federal and Indigenous governments] and the path forward around this idea of reconciliation?

Over the past six years, our Liberal government has developed very strong relationships with Indigenous governments across the Northwest Territories and has been a real partner in addressing their priorities. We've established a self-government framework with the NWT Mtis Nation, which we had worked on for some time. We signed agreements with the[YellowknivesDene] First Nation, theDelne Got'ne [Government] on the remediation of [Giant Mine and the abandonedmines]near Great Bear Lake. And I want to continue on with these types of arrangements between governments and that includes the land claims and self-government agreements.

A lot of the Indigenous governments right now are really focusing on reconstituting nations. The issue of only talking about land tenure and compensation and self-government is too narrow... We need to broaden the discussion to include languages and culture and traditions and supports that will help us. It's [about] developing a nation that will be there to protect all aspects of their membership.

And we continue to make real good progress on implementing UNDRIP[the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples]and accelerating the work of the murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls[commission] through their action plan and the [Truth and Reconciliation Commission]calls to action. So there's a lot going on, but there's a lot more that has to happen.

What do you see as the important steps for your government but for northerners in particular around the recovery from the pandemic?

The issue of dealing with some of the challenges Indigenous governments are facing for settling land claims and self-government and nation building are big ones. I think that there has to be a focus on infrastructure investment...something that's been discussed quite a bit. Our cost of living is still very high here. We have a huge infrastructure deficit, especially when it comes to transportation.

Investing in accelerating climate change action is something we want to do. We want to deliver on that $10 a day childcare. We want to finish the fight on COVIDbut then continue to keep Canadians and northerners healthy by improving our health system.

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Meet the N.W.T. candidates: Liberal Michael McLeod running on gov't's record - CBC.ca

The Liberal party may be breathing a bit easier with news that its candidate in SydneyVictoria, on the northwest tip of Cape Breton, N.S., looks likely to win the riding on Sept. 20.

According to a Mainstreet survey, if an election were held today, 46 per cent of leaning and decided voters in the riding would vote Liberal, 32 per cent would vote Conservative, and 15 per cent would pick the NDP.

Incumbent Liberal Jaime Battiste won the riding in 2019, becoming the first Mikmaw member of Parliament. In this election, hes running against another Mikmaw candidate, New Democrat Jeff Ward.

The riding was created in 1996, and, the following year, New Democrat Peter Mancini won the seat, defeating Liberal Vince MacLean by more than 10,000 votes. Four years later, Liberal Mark Eyking won the riding and held it until he retired in 2019, nearly 20 years later.

When Battiste, a member of the Eskasoni First Nation, first ran in 2019, he was forced to apologize a few weeks before voting day for racist and sexist tweets hed sent years before.

In that race, Battiste faced off against Conservative Eddie Orrell, whod stepped down from his seat in the provincial legislature, where he was an MLA from June 2011 to July 2019. Hes running again for the Conservatives in an attempt to unseat Battiste.

Ward is a member of the Membertou First Nation, and serves as general manager of the Membertou Heritage Park.

The fourth candidate in the riding is Ronald Angus Barron, whos representing the Peoples Party of Canada.

The survey of 442 adults conducted from Sept. 1 to 7 was done using automated telephone interviews and online samples. The margin of error for a probability sample of this size is plus or minus 4.7 per cent at a 95 per cent confidence level.

More from iPolitics

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Liberals likely to win the Nova Scotia riding of SydneyVictoria - iPolitics.ca

Since reclaiming his position as leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, much is being discussed about Matthew Guy's past controversies.

Let's go back to 2017 when IA founder and publisher David Donovan wrote a brilliant piece on "wise" Guy's links to the Calabrian business community along with those of his Liberal Party colleagues.

NEWSPAPER HEADLINE WRITERS had a lot of fun last week when Victorian Opposition leader Matthew Guy was caught in a lobster restaurant with alleged mafia godfather Antonio Tony Madafferi and several other alleged crime figures. "LOBSTER WITH A 'MOBSTER'was one they came up with; another was"blunderbelly".

Anyway, Matt Wise Guy said he had no idea Tony Madafferi was going to be at the Lobster Cave. Funnily enough, this was pretty much exactly what he saidthe last time he was caught hanging out with Madafferi,at a 2013 Liberal Party campaign fundraiser bankrolled by the Calabrian-born businessman. Unfortunately, Guys Liberal Party consigliere at the Lobster Cave, Barrie Macmillan, soon blabbed to the press that Guy did, in fact, know who was going to be at the dinner. Oops!

And then it emerged that Liberal Party Dunkley branch secretary Macmillan was aconvicted criminaland beensecretly recordeddiscussing how to quietly funnel donations into the Party from these legitimate businessmen. Awkward!

Of course, all of this is a storm in a wine glass. The Liberal Party,especially in Victoria, have long been friends with certain prominent Calabrian families. It is absurd that Matthew Guy should have to go cloak and dagger into the smoky backrooms of seafood restaurants to sip Grange Hermitage and discuss matters of mutual benefit with respectablefruit shop ownerslike Madafferi.

Sure, Tony Madafferi may have been named as a suspected hitman in two coronial inquests, but he has never been charged.Arent we all entitled to the presumption of innocence?

Its important to remember The Ages apology to Madafferi from 2016:

Since March 2014,The Ageand Fairfax Media Pty Ltd have published a series ofarticles by Nick McKenzie, Richard Baker, Royce Millar and Josh Gordonconcerning Mr Antonio (Tony) Madafferi.The Age acknowledges that Mr Madafferiis a hard working family man who has never been charged by the police with anycriminal offence, and has no criminal convictions. To the extent that any of thearticles might have suggested the contrary,The Ageaccepts that such suggestionsare false and apologises to Mr Madafferi.

Clearly, Fairfax agrees that Madafferi is a hard-working Family man with no convictions. But nevertheless,he is still the subject ofsalacious rumour and gossipabout his alleged role in an international crime racket, involving blackmail, extortion, drug trafficking, gun-running and contract murder. How he bravely carries on in the face of this smear and calumny is astonishing. Sure, maybe a few of Madafferis associates, including his brother Frank, have been convicted of some crimes here and there, but, as Peter Dutton said about those Border Force employees the other day, they are surely just a few "bad apples".

The Liberal Partys close links with Tony Madafferi and his Calabrian friends are, in fact, simply part of its sincere longstanding commitment to multiculturalism. Indeed, the Liberal Party and the Calabrian business community are natural friends and allies. They have so much in common!

For example, the Liberal Party loves hard-working families. Well, who works harder than The Family? The Liberal Party always talk about growing the pie the Calabrians invented the pizza! The Liberal Party hates unions, while the Calabrian not-mafia demands union-free workplaces. The Liberals are open for business and the Calabrian legitimate business community love making deals why, they might even make you an offer you cant refuse!

No wonder Liberals like Guy are happy to sneak into seafood restaurants to crack some shells with Tony Madafferi and his friends, and maybe or maybe not! talk about one or two (perhaps more) small, absolutely no-strings-attached donations.

LOG JAM!Liberal insider's plot to deliver alleged Mafia donations to Matthew #Guy https://t.co/Cxd4MsR2sK @ABCNews #qt #LogGate pic.twitter.com/Fp7JP7XYhq

Independent Australia would like to rectify some of the reputational damage done to several very honest and decent Liberal Party politicians simply through association with this beset-upon minority.

So, in honour of Matthew Guy, IA here presents the top five Liberal Party friends of the Calabrian business community.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull doesnt seem to have a problem meeting with Calabrian businessmen to discuss Liberal Party donations and business opportunities.

For instance, soon after he became Opposition Leader in 2008, the now PM had a lunchtime meeting in Melbourne with Tony Madafferi and other Liberal Party donors. It was organised by Liberal MP for McMillan Russell Broadbent as so many of these sort of meetings seem to be.

Also, there was Joe Acquaro, whom Fairfax sensationally described as the:

slain gangland lawyer and Mafia associate [who] spent two decades cultivating, and donating to, senior Liberal politicians on behalf of alleged crime figures.

Acquaro was the lawyer of convicted drug trafficker Frank Madafferi, Tonys brother although he had a falling out with him subsequently. Acquaro was, sadly,gunned down in Brunswick last year after a $200,000 contract had been reportedly placed on his head.

The lawyer was in frequent contact with Turnbulls office prior to 2008, supposedly trying to sell the Government environmentally friendly lightbulbs while Turnbull was Environment Minister.

Turnbulls spokesman said Malcolm remembered the fundraiser lunch for a number of Mr Broadbent's local supporters", but did "not recall the names of Mr Broadbent's guests. The staffer however said Turnbull did recall a meeting to discuss energy-efficient lighting with a businessman who was an associate of Madafferi and Acquaro.

No details about how much money was raised at the event were disclosed.

Mafia adviser's meetings with Malcolm Turnbull, Liberal MPs...https://t.co/CTFmLHYGgK #auspol #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/Pm38T2xwz2

Former Environment Minister and current Health Minister Greg Hunt, who didnt quite make our top five wise-Guys, deserves an honourable mention at this point.

In 2005, Hunt also met Acquaro and Tony Madafferi at a private meeting with senior Liberal MPs in Parliament House. In May 2016, a spokesman for Hunt said he "had been introduced to Mr Madafferi over a decade ago".

Who introduced them? Russell Broadbent, of course.

You thought Bruce Billson was only famous because he is a former small business minister who then got a job as a business lobbyist whilst still sitting in Parliament? Think again!

Because in 2004, bubbly little Brucie, along with Defence Minister Marise Payneand (who else?) Russell Broadbent attended a fundraiser organised by Tony Madafferi after meeting with political donors linked to him.

Bruce, along with Payne and Broadbent, was also among a number of MPs who contacted then Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone in 2003 and 2004 to secure an Australian visa for Tonys violent convicted criminal brother Mad FrankMadafferi.

In 2015, Billson admitted to Fairfax that he had lobbied Vanstone on behalf of a Liberal donor and relative of Frank Madafferi who had 'deceived' him by not telling him about Franks criminal activities.

'The request made of me for assistance... was a contrived veneer covering a far darker and disturbing situation', lamented Billson.

Clearly, it was impossible for Billson to discover for himself that the reason Frank Madafferi was desperate not to return to Italy was that he had fled from there after being sentenced to multiple gaol terms for such offences as stabbings, drug crimes, gun possession, extortion and criminal conspiracy.

Bruce Billson, admitted to the contact with a Mafia-linked donor, but told Fairfax Media the man had "deceived" him https://t.co/KVZ7zs5EuD

Billson went on to say in a statement he had 'ceased contact with all parties involved and stridently expressed my bitter disappointment' to the Liberal donor.

He must have 'ceased contact with all parties involved' sometime after 23 February 2009, because thats when The Age reported that:

Bruce Billson, the Liberal MP thinks [Tony] Madafferi is a decent chap, although his interaction with the Calabrian-born greengrocer is limited to fund-raising events. "I met him at functions. He seems a nice guy," Billson says.

Frank Madafferi was charged with large scaledrug importation in 2008 and convicted in late 2009.

Defence Minister Marise Payne is also on good terms with the Italian business community.

For instance, in 2003, Senator Payne was approached at a charity function by Italian-Australian businessmen Pat Sergi, Tony Labozzetta and Nick Scali about assisting Frank Madafferi to obtain a visa.

Payne made contact twice with Immigration Minister Vanstone on behalf of Frank in 2003 and 2004.

Meanwhile, in2004, the AFP was investigating allegations from a Liberal Party insider that:

In exchange for criminal Frank Medaffery's [sic] release from Villawood detention centre and the granting of his application to stay in Australia, Liberal Party received donations from Medaffery's [sic] associates and business partners within the Italian community.

Donation records show Sergi subsequently donated to the NSW Liberal Party in March 2004 and that companies owned by furniture king Scali donated to the Liberals in March 2003 and August 2004.

LNP Mafia Connections everywhere:Furniture king Nick Scali investigated over $3m bribe allegations https://t.co/4ZEVeD0zpM

Sergi was also named in the 1979 Woodward Royal Commission as being the money launderer of alleged drug importer and mafia godfather Robert Trimbole. Several of Mr Labozzetta's relatives have been named by NSW police as suspected mafia figures.

In September 2004, Payne flew to Melbourne to attend a Liberal Party fundraiser organised by Tony Madafferi. Also there were Bruce Billson, Russell Broadbent and Immigration Minister Vanstone.

It was a good night for the Liberal Party, with at least $40,000 being donated and Tony Madafferi himself donating $15,000.

Despite the presence of Tony Madafferi and many of his associates, none of the three Liberal politicians there, who had lobbied the Immigration Minister on behalf of Frank Madafferi, norImmigration Minister Vanstone herself, recalled the visa issue being discussed at the function.

Like Billson, Payne later said she "had no knowledge, or any cause to be aware of, any criminal associations" of either Frank Madafferi or anyone who lobbied her on his behalf. Of course, none of her representations on behalf of Madafferi had anything to do with donations!

NSW Liberal Party state director Mark Neeham confirmed donations had been received from the Madafferi family but said they were not "subject to political conditions of any kind".

Perish the thought!

In 2005, then Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone, after extensive lobbying, overturned a deportation order and granted a visa in 2005 toFrank Madafferi.

Vanstone justified her decision to grant him a visa because of mental illness (his, not hers).

She said it was for humanitarian reasons:

" as a discretionary and humanitarian act to an individual with a genuine ongoing need.

Vanstone was, of course, famous for her generousdisplays of kindness in the immigration portfolio.

Or Amanda Vanstone would be good choice. She is an expert on Madafferi matters and works for the ABC. #auspol https://t.co/LOJMDRnDnJ

Six months after Ms Vanstone overturned the Madafferi deportation order, relatives and associates of the Madafferi family, including Tony Madafferi, donated at least $30,000 to the NSW Liberal Party.

Vanstones humanitarian gesture went slightly awry when, in August 2008, Madafferi was arrested and charged after the year beforethe AFP had netted the world's biggestecstasyhaul, having a street value of some $440million.

Nevertheless, presumably due to her unwavering support of the Italian community, after resigning from politics in 2007, Vanstone was appointed to be the Italian ambassador.

In 2010, she gave a work experience job in the Embassy to the son of an alleged Adelaide godfather then under investigation for drug importation.

Police later concluded that her Senate office had been infiltrated by the mafia, but not by, heaven forbid, that she was a mafia associateherself.

The name Russell Broadbent continually arises inconnection with the Calabrian legitimate business community.

Broadbent is good friends with Tony Madafferi and is happy to be photographed with him and his associates, unlike the painfully shy Matthew Guy. Clearly, Broadbent is good at raising funds for the Liberal Party from the Italian business community.

As we have seen, Broadbent was instrumental in lobbying Amanda Vanstone on behalf of Frank Maddafferi and has organised a number of fundraisers with the Italian business network over the years, including at Parliament House itself. He also separately introduced both Malcolm Turnbull and Greg Hunt to Acquaro and Tony Madafferi.

After the 2005 Hunt meeting at Parliament, Fairfax report Broadbent dining with Acquaro and Tony Madafferi, along with two of Mr Madafferi's relatives also Liberal donors in the Parliament House dining suite. Acquaro later said the meal was a "thank you" for donations to the Party.

Afterwards, Acquaro and Tony Madafferi went off and had a meeting Luigi Pochi, a convicted drug dealer named in the Woodward Royal Commission. All in a days work!

@Ageinvestigates Victorian Liberal MP Russell Broadbent hosted alleged Mafia boss Tony Madafferi https://t.co/z2vBrXxLTg

Russell Broadbent is usually shy about talking about his ties to certain successful Calabrian families, however, he did have this to say about Frank and Tony Madafferi in 2015:

As far as Frank Madafferi goes and Tony Madafferi goes, I have met them

in regard to Tony Madafferi, in regard to Tony Madafferi, I would say that if he has transgressed the law, he should face the full force of the law and be charged.

But outside of that, I would say to yourself and the rest of the community, we have the rule of law in this country. It attends to everybody.

Everybody comes under the rule of law of this country. And If you have transgressed the law, you should be charged and face the full consequences of the law. Simple as that.

Well said, Russell Broadbent. Tony Madafferi is an honest hardworking Melbourne greengrocer and everything else is mere scuttlebutt and innuendo. You should be commended for your close attention to the rule of law.

Broadbent is still a Federal MP and still working away to bridge the gap between hard-working Calabrian families and the Party. And if a small donation should happen to come his way as a result, well, surely this is just a sign of a job well done?

Well done, Russell Broadbent. You are Australias number one Liberal Party wise-Guy.

You can follow founder and publisher Dave Donovan on Twitter @davrosz. Also, follow Independent Australia on Twitter @independentaus and on Facebook HERE.

Support independent journalism Subscribeto IA.

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Flashback 2017: Matthew Guy and the 'mafia': Top five Liberal Party wise-Guys - Independent Australia

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau reveals his party's election platform in Toronto on Sept. 1, 2021. The campaign that just started is already almost over, thanks to Mr. Trudeau calling the shortest election possible.

Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

If the Liberals had their druthers, their opponent in this election would be the anti-vaccine freedom caucus. You know, those protesters who keep showing up and acting out at Justin Trudeaus events. Despite the performative handwringing by Grits and credulous TV journalists, theyve been a gift to the Liberal Leader, and he should pray they never go away.

The cameras true love is conflict, and social medias jam is polarization, so the protesters angry presence instantly turns NyQuil-strength political rallies into viral catnip.

And since only a tiny minority of Canadians share their views, if the election gets framed, even a little bit, as the Liberals versus the no-needle branch of QAnon, then the outcome is less uncertain than that of a game between the Harlem Globetrotters and the Washington Generals farm teams taxi squad.

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The caravan of right-wing crackpots are, for Mr. Trudeau, a fortuitous foil. Theyre the kind of people he wants to be contrasted with, on an issue he wants to wedge. The more they protest, the more Mr. Trudeau gets to act like hes running against them.

Thing is, the main political party hes actually running against has a very different message.

Even as Mr. Trudeau insists theres an enormous gap between his policies and values and those of the Conservatives, Conservative Leader Erin OToole is trying to convince voters that, while his party is of course different from the Liberals, this time around its not too different.

Mr. OTooles approach appears to be all about presenting himself as the most progressive conservative leader since the demise of the Progressive Conservatives.

Health care? Hell up the Canada Health Transfer to the provinces by billions of dollars. Deficits? He wont balance the budget for 10 years. Also claims he can do it without cutting anything.

The environment? The Liberals have the better plan, but the distance between them and the Conservatives has narrowed. The Tory platform acknowledges climate change, aims for the Paris Accord climate targets and even accepts some carbon pricing.

Drug overdoses? Mr. OToole has moved toward the Liberals in talking about addiction as a disease, not a criminal matter. Unions? He thinks workers should have representation on some corporate boards. Animal cruelty? Hes against it.

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Abortion? Hes pro choice, and his platform contains exactly one sentence on the subject: A Conservative government will not support any legislation to regulate abortion.

Earlier this week, each of the party leaders sat down for back-to-back French-language interviews with Radio-Canada. Mr. OTooles very first words, in response to the very first question, were: Im a new leader, with a new approach. He repeated the mantra, again and again and some more, over the next half hour. He never said, Im not Stephen Harper, or Im not Andrew Scheer; he never said, and this isnt their Conservative Party. But that was the message.

Mr. OToole is trying hard not to create wedge issues. Mr. Trudeau is trying hard to find them.

He opened the election talking about mandatory vaccinations. And Mr. Trudeau is right the country needs domestic vaccination certificates, and some federally regulated jobs should come with a vaccination requirement. But as the government, the Liberals had the power to make that happen. Instead, they launched their campaign by promising to do what they could have done, but didnt. It was too clever by half, squared.

Next came abortion and guns. But the Liberal pitches once again involved trying to create a contrast with the Conservatives by promising, or re-promising, to do things they could have done in these instances years ago.

Its made for a strange campaign. Mr. OTooles platform has contradictions, because hes trying to both win swing voters and hang on to his base. Theres also the mystery of whether the uncosted Conservative platform adds up. The Liberals might make advances by treating voters as adults, and digging into all that.

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But the campaign that just started is already almost over, thanks to Mr. Trudeau calling the shortest election possible. The last day to vote is just two-and-a-half weeks away, and millions will cast their ballots sooner than that. Its a sprint, and the Liberals are fast running out of track.

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What is this election about? The Liberals are still working on it - The Globe and Mail