Speech from the Throne

OTTAWA – Editorial – The Speech from the Throne will set the direction for the federal Conservative Government. With two years left in the government’s mandate, it is expected that the focus on the Conservatives will shift toward issues that will form the platform for the party’s re-election campaign. 

The Conservatives are looking to address issues including the economy, wireless service, cable bundling, and price differences between Canada and the United States.

The Senate Scandal remains a focal point for the opposition New Democrats, Liberals and growing numbers of Canadians.

The Senate is an issue that is easy for many to identify with. Pointing fingers at government excess has become a focal point of opposition. 

The message from the Senate, and the spending of Senator Mike Duffy and Senator Pamela Wallin have been hitting hard on the Conservative brand. Nik Nanos, from Nanos Research states, “With the Conservatives having faced political turbulence this summer with controversies related to the Senate, the Speech from the Throne represents an opportunity for the Harper government to try to reset and refocus the political discourse”. 

Nanos Research reports, “The latest weekly tracking on the Nanos Party Power Index for federal parties completed on October 11, 2013, by Nanos Research, suggests that the Liberal Party Power Index Score currently tracks stronger than the other parties (59) but that the Conservative Power Index is incrementally moving up (53).  A score above 50 on the diffusion index suggests a net positive draw for a political party. The NDP Party Power Index Score stands at 47 points followed by the Green Party at 33 points and the BQ (Quebec only) at 26 points”.

The latest from Nanos Research states, “In the lead up to the Speech from the Throne, which is expected to include pro-consumer measures, the Power Index for the Conservatives is trending up among Canadians under 30 years of age, up from a score of 48 to 55 for the Conservatives over the past two weeks”.

Kenora MP and Fednor Minister Greg Rickford has been in Northwestern Ontario several times over the summer. Rickford has talked about jobs and the economy. At the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, and at Fednor announcements and a speech to a Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) meeting, Rickford has stood solidly onside that the economy is the issue most Canadians have in their sights.

Political Landscape

In the wake of the recent provincial election in Nova Scotia, the Party Power Index Score for the Federal NDP in Atlantic Canada has slid over the past two weeks (from 56 to 51 points). 

BQ accessible voters in Quebec continues to be at an eight week low. 

On the leadership front, Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper remain in a tight race in terms of who Canadians think would make the best Prime Minister.