Faced with an NDP that seems more focused on identity politics than the fate of working Canadians, Poilievre may be kicking in a rotting door, particularly if he turns down the volume on less mainstream ideas like support for the trucker’s convoy.
Trudeau’s mission is to unite the majority of Canadians behind the idea that the new Conservative leader is a risk to their personal and financial security.
His problem is his own popularity deficit. The Abacus poll shows Trudeau at near record-low approval ratings. Attacks on another politician generally only work when you are more credible than they are. If negative ads move into questionable territory, they can rebound, as happened when former prime minister Paul Martin’s team alleged that Stephen Harper wanted to increase the military’s presence in cities in 2005: “Soldiers with guns. In our cities. In Canada. We did not make this up”.
The Liberals have been in power for nearly seven years. Trudeau’s success has been built on his own variation of populism — appealing to people’s hope and optimism by promising to provide the help and relief they need.
Trudeau’s government is on the ropes and scaremongering about Poilievre will only work if it can address some of the economic and basic competency problems that have been plaguing it of late.
Trudeau set the tone for the fall parliamentary session when he 'congratulated' Poilievre on his victory last week
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