(Ottawa) The Conservative Party released new English-language ads this week attacking Jagmeet Singh, calling the NDP leader a “sellout” and blaming him for rising crime, housing prices and the cost of living in the country.
With the Conservatives hoping to steal a seat from the NDP in Winnipeg in a September by-election, the ads ask why Singh is agreeing to keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in power at a time when his Liberal government is unpopular with Canadians.
The New Democrats signed a political pact with the Liberals in 2022 in which they promised the minority government their support during key votes in the House. In exchange, they obtained assurances of progress on common public policies such as pharmacare and dental care.
Conservative ads accuse Mr Singh of pursuing the deal solely to secure his MP pension, which he would not be entitled to until October 2025, the scheduled date of the next federal election.
Conservative ads feature real photos of Mr. Singh wearing a Rolex watch or a Versace tote bag, and driving a BMW. The headline reads: “Singh the sellout. He gets his pension, you foot the bill.”
The ads are running across the country in various ridings, the Conservative Party said, without providing further details.
A 15-second version of one of the ads has been running on Facebook and Instagram since mid-June in British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Nunavut, according to Meta’s ad registry.
Mr Singh’s principal secretary, Anne McGrath, said the attacks were “personal and dishonest”.
“The truth is that by the time he was in his twenties, Pierre Poilievre was already accumulating his multi-million dollar MP pension, and Jagmeet was working minimum wage to support himself and his teenage brother.
“That’s what motivates Jagmeet to fight for lower grocery prices, affordable housing and dental care.”
Working class ”
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre
In the ads, the Conservatives attack the fact that the New Democrats voted for Liberal policies that make the lives of Canadians “miserable.”
“Sellout Singh is out of touch with hard-working Canadians struggling to pay for gas, food and housing,” the Conservative Party said in a written statement. “He helped Trudeau raise the carbon tax four times and double housing costs. He supports Trudeau’s ‘woke’ policies and censorship agenda.”
The New Democrats counter by pointing to Mr. Poilievre’s record, who “voted against a federal minimum wage, but to cut Canada Pension Plan benefits and raise the retirement age, and who voted to take away dental care for children and seniors.”
Mr. Poilievre focused his speech heavily on the cost of living, as his party maintains a considerable lead over the Liberals in the polls. Those polls also show that support for the NDP is not growing.
Under Poilievre, the Conservatives have stepped up their efforts to win support from unionized workers, many of whom traditionally supported the New Democrats.
Some national union leaders have warned their members about Mr. Poilievre, going so far as to say that even though he borrows the language of the labour movement, he represents a threat to workers.
“You have to give Poilievre credit for finding the right tone and the right message to speak directly to working people,” said Fred DeLorey, who ran the 2021 Conservative campaign under Erin O’Toole. “Singh has always had a hard time connecting with people; he’s really speaking to union leaders. And they’re two different groups.”
The Conservatives are hoping to capture the riding of Elmwood-Transcona, an NDP stronghold in Winnipeg, in the September 16 by-election.
The Conservatives are running Colin Reynolds, a local union member. The New Democrats have chosen Leila Dance, a community leader.
New Democrat Bill Blaikie represented the riding for about 20 years, starting in the late 1980s. His son Daniel took it over in 2015 after a single Conservative term, but announced earlier this year that he was resigning his seat to work in provincial politics in the office of Manitoba’s new premier, Wab Kinew.
The Conservatives think they can retake the riding because the NDP is losing support to them, DeLorey suggested.
“Working-class blue-collar workers who traditionally feel more comfortable with the NDP are now realizing that the Conservatives are a viable option,” he said after watching the latest ads.
” The message [des pubs] clearly reinforces how out of touch the NDP is and how much Poilievre speaks the language of common sense.”