CFTO - Sunday, May 26, 2024 - 11:00 a.m. (ET) - Segment #3

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campaign. You know, the sad reality is, is we're in such an atomized media market these days that, you know, pressure from sort of mainstream media outlets or the government themselves on these questions is probably insufficient. It needs to be backed up by a sustained attack on topics of concern to canadians and through paid media and for whatever reason they continue to not take that approach. >> Vassy: I mean, that circles back to something we talked about frequently, especially now as they do seem to have a very specific strategy in place for going after poilievre or trying to define him. Are you also perplexed that there's not more behind it? There's more social media, I will say. They're very proud of everyone behind the scenes is up 5 million views on that video on capital gains but is that enough? >> First of all, I think that, you know, if you're a betting person it would be a smart strategy to bet on the fact act that maybe the liberals will change their own advertising picks in the coming months, change the law so they can do more government advertising. I wouldn't be surprised if that happened. But I think just to go back to your original question around will the strategy work, I think it has worked in the past and that's been a typical play liberals have used. We saw that in 2004. I think scott was on that campaign. We also saw it in 2019. We saw it in ontario for instance and kathleen wynne in 2014 where she eked out a victory considered tired ontario liberals at the time and once against tim hudak. Basically liberals know the fear play. They know that playbook. The problem is they're fighting against the couch right now. I think people are so apathetic, so angry that how do they actually motivate people and I think the problem is that they can't just keep on pound ago way at the fear and concerns around pierre poilievre. They actually have to put some policy in the window, more positive throws. They can't just feed the policy ground, if you will, to the conservatives and that's what they've been doing so they need a better message on that. It's gotting to a multipronged strategy. They can't just do one thing. They have to do multiple things and very well all at the same time if they're going to get out of this hole. >> Vassy: do you think that's true, scott? I would say I think they think that's what they are doing. I think they think that's what the budget was, right, putting all this new policy, which they constantly he tell me behind the scenes again is popular. It's not making them popular, the policies themselves are popular. They think that was putting the offering in the window and then they're going to combine it with the fear. >> Well, they would argue those are seeds that are going in the ground and somehow they're going to grow into crops. When? Next month, next year, three years from now? Some of those timelines are too late to help. So I would start with the fear, man. You know, kathleen is right. I was there in 2004, in 2014 as well, and I think they need to do what they failed to do the last 18 months and that is really scuff up this wonderful, all things to all people image of pierre poilievre. But -- I'll just kind of repeat what kory said. The problem is even in 2014, which was a very different media marketplace, we used advertising. So having the prime minister and others say these things at microphones after news conferences, on mainstream news, is an incredibly inefficient way, even if it's supplemented by social media, which is also an alternative [Indiscernible] that's less connected to fewer people. It's just doesn't reach now people and it doesn't affect enough people. It's got to be backed up by pure money, money, money. >> Vassy: you've made a few historical references. The other one I was thinking of was another kathleen wynne election, kory, which you would know a lot about, where the momentum for change was so great that despite the fact that there was a lot of, you know, unknowns and fears in some instances about what doug ford would do, he put basically nothing [indiscernible] nothing in the window, didn't answer any of those questions. One-page platform. And still because momentum was so great was able to win. Like, and I guess by that I mean context matters. What is your sense of the context in this? >> Well, the context is affordability. I think that they would be well served to open up a front against their own governor of the bank of canada and talk about interest rates. You know, this is clearly going to be a change election, and that's going to be an uphill struggle for any international student government. But you have to, if you want to have any hope of success, you've got to make the alternative unpalatable, which is the attack side, and you have to show that you have some gas in the tank to make changes in areas where people are concerned about. And to scott's earlier point and I'm sure, kathleen, you're not going to like this, but pharmacare and dental care and some of these other things, they may be of concern to some important voters. They're registering a one or a two on a scale of one to ten. Whereas the fear of renegotiating your mortgage or finding rental housing is appropriate or paying for your grocery bill, those are, like,

nines and tens if not 11 and 12 on that rating scale in terms of intensity and importance to voters. You can't be majoring in the minors I guess is what I would say in terms of the topics you choose to discuss. And the agenda insofar as you have a new agendas as a government has to be laser-like focused on those issues that are actually driving public sentiment and driving that push for change. >> Vassy: the only caveat I would add to that is what if rates start to get cut on june 5th? I don't want to ever present it as oh, people are really rolling in it now. Groceries up 20%, inflation is in the target range but feels terrible, kathleen. But that doesn't mean that the public sentiment can't change overtime. >> If people's desire for change is so great and their anger at this government or exhaustion with this government doesn't change no matter how many quarter points the bank governor might slice off in this year or the next year, I don't think it's going to make that kind of impact. I mean, you're seeing this play out in the U.S. where the U.S. has a roaring economy but no one is giving president biden the credit for that whatsoever and that's because public sentiment right now is not willing to give any political leader any credit. There's no room for victory laps right now and that's the problem. So no one's giving credit to politicians even if they are doing the hard work or putting the policies forward. They're just kind of almost apathetic as I said and that's the challenge in the next election is luring people 06 the couch, getting them to vote, motivate, get enthusiasm back. Enthusiasm is there with the conservative base but how do the progressive parties get their base out and motivated to participate in elections. >> Vassy: got to leave it there. Thanks. Our sunday strategy session, scott reid, kory teneycke, and kathleen monk. When we come back we're going to talk about over it. New data shows public opinion is the lowest it's ever been for the three major political party leaders at this moment. The scrum will be here to talk about that. Then over to france and one of the soldiers who lost his life there in the first world war. and the road trip of the summer is an ice cold drink from McDonald's. Like a Small McCafe Iced Coffee or a refreshing Coca Cola for $1 plus tax. Step up your summer today. When you back hurts, life hurts. Robax dual action formula relieves pain and relaxes tight muscles. Take back your back with Robax. Today I'm plating something special. Not for my customers. For my cat. Fancy Feast obsesses over food like I do, with delicious little details and one extra ingredient: love. Fancy Feast. Love is in the details If you're lost You can look And you will find me Time after time For everything you care about. Intact Insurance. [knocking] “It's Love” by Chris Knox I need you I need you every single day And I want you I want you every single way And I need you I need you every single way and i... It's love (repeating) It's la la la la la la It's love (repeating) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) Loving the uncommon is a wonderful thing we have in common. ( ) Mother: My family loves to travel. Whoa... (Exhaling) And I love it when they all come back home. Toffifee combines what everyone loves. Caramel, hazelnut, nougat cream and chocolate. (Laughter) ( ) ( ) Daisy Wild, The New Eau de Parfum, by Marc Jacobs. Introducing Madri Excepcional, inspired by the soul of Madrid. ( ) a new crisp, and smooth, Spanish style lager, now available in Canada. (sigh) Italy... KFC's $5 Sandwich of the Day is back. Only in Canada. Have a great trip...

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