I’m not gonna lie to you, Substack, sometimes I get tired of the sound of my own voice analyzing each of Justin Trudeau’s stations of the cross. So today I called some other voices. It was time to convene my panel of partisan analysts to talk about last night’s Bloc breakthrough in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun and the NDP hold in Elmwood-Transcona.
I’m hoping to convene this panel repeatedly as an election approaches. I wanted a panel that isn’t relentlessly partisan, but whose members have long and solid experience in their respective parties. In particular, I wanted people who’ve hung on to a sense of independence from their own parties. I’m pleased to be joined by Marci Surkes, who was Justin Trudeau’s policy director from 2019 to 2022; Garry Keller, who was chief of staff to John Baird in government and Rona Ambrose in opposition; and Allison Gifford, who worked with Jack Layton during the NDP’s 2011 election breakthrough.
This quick introductory panel found froom for some divergence of analysis and opinion, but also some points of consensus. Nobody thinks the Liberals had a good night. Nobody can really figure out what the Liberals’ comeback plan is, if any. And nobody,thinks there’s any likelihood of a quick election, though I’m more unsure on that score than the others are. I think things could basically go out of control at any time. I mean, it’s Canada in the 21st century. “Out of control at any time” is basically our new national motto.
I hope you enjoy the video. I’m working on a long post about my weekend adventures in Ukraine; that should land soon.
Verdun and Transcona: the aftermath