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Federal Election — Issues and Experts
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June 22, 2004
Election comes down to the wire…In less than a week, voters will elect their federal government. SFU political science professor David Laycock is among SFU experts who have been watching the campaign unfold. Laycock’s assessment of what the main parties need to do is as follows:
"The Liberals need to continue sowing seeds of doubt regarding whether the Conservatives have a 'hidden agenda,' especially in Ontario, where people are susceptible to the suggestion that Harper is prepared to cut services in order to deliver deep tax cuts. And the Liberals need to emphasize more the aspect of Liberal policy that Martin can claim responsibility for the elimination of deficits, successive surpluses, and a strong national economy with modest tax reductions.
"The Conservatives need to keep hammering the Liberals on the 'trust' theme, primarily with reference to the sponsorship scandal. But they need to be careful in raising the question of trust, as the Liberals have started to turn it against them over the past week, as bits of 'off message' material keep surfacing that suggest the Conservative campaign is misleading as to the party's long-term intentions.
"The NDP needs to convince their core voters worried about a Conservative government that voting for their first choice, NDP, rather than their second choice, Liberal, will not increase the chances of a Conservative victory. Many who voted Liberal in 1993, 1997 and 2000 appeared to be 'coming back' to the NDP. But with Conservatives leading the polls, some now seem headed back to their second choice over fears of a Conservative government. The NDP needs to argue that they are the only English Canadian party that can stop a Liberal or Conservative minority government from enacting a non-progressive agenda."
- David Laycock, 604.291.3089, 604.924.9402 (h); david_laycock@sfu.ca