Earlier this week, former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien drew some TV time when asked what he thought of the negativity directed at Justin Trudeau.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Old-stock Canadians. Just not ready. Big sled, no dogs. Sort of like being attacked by a dead sheep. You know the federal election campaign has heated up when the put-downs range from wickedly funny to juvenile, depending on who is saying what to whom and why.
With the three major parties battling for voters, niceties have been kicked to the curb in favour of Don Rickles diplomacy. Everyone and everything is in play. Ragging on an issue is good; ragging on an issue and zinging the party leader in support of it is better.
We are witnessing negative attacks on strategic targets as the Oct. 19 election day comes into view. With multiple polls showing the NDP on the slide, the Conservatives are refocusing their assault on Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, the Tories' closest competitor.
Earlier this week, former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien drew some TV time when asked what he thought of the negativity directed at Mr. Trudeau. Mr. Chrétien replied: "I never used that as a tool. When they used that against me, they paid a helluva price. So it's a question of judgment."
Mr. Trudeau was judged "a twerp" by environmentalist David Suzuki, who had been called "sanctimonious" by Mr. Trudeau.
Then there was Mr. Trudeau, returning from a trip to the Arctic where he said the locals described Conservative Leader Stephen Harper as having "big sled, no dogs." That one drew big laughs, no comeback.
Steve Patten, a political science professor at the University of Alberta, believes there are two groups of voters standing on the sidelines following the action: "soft Conservative voters from past elections who want to be assured that staying the course is the right choice" and the "all-important group of voters who want change. They're waiting to hear something that definitively determines whether it is Trudeau or [NDP Leader Thomas] Mulcair who represents the best vehicle for positive change."
But doesn't taunting a rival smack of desperation at this stage in the election?
"Turning up the rhetoric and being more heated can be useful if the substance of the exchange helps to define a vision for and capacity to bring about positive change," Prof. Patten said.
Here's a defined vision: Mr. Mulcair, the NDP leader, took a swipe at former NDP Ontario premier Bob Rae, saying the party had the best record of any party in Canada when it came to balancing budgets – except when Mr. Rae, who jumped from the NDP to the Liberals, was the premier when the provincial debt more than doubled.
That drew a tweet from Mr. Rae: "Very tired line from Mulcair – 'sort of like being attacked by a dead sheep.' "
Don't ask.
Thoughtful put-down
The best-played, all-round multimedia affront was crafted by Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo. The two musicians penned Stealin' All My Dreams, a musical skewering of Mr. Harper and his policies: "Little king Stevie and his monarchy, behind the closed doors of corporatocracy."
You don't get lyrics like that from AC/DC.
Promises, always with the promises
Since this election campaign began on Aug, 2, the candidates have vowed to do many things if elected as prime minister. Mr. Harper, for example, has promised to: pave the highway between Fort Smith and Hay River, NWT (cost: $14-million); expand high-speed Internet to remote and rural areas (cost: $200-million); and sustain habitats that support birds, moose and turkeys (cost: $6-million).
Altogether, The Canadian Press has tabulated that Mr. Harper has made 35 promises on the campaign trail, some of them with hefty spinoffs, such as paying $9-million over three years to attract fisherman and hunters to Canada – so they can blast away at the birds, moose and turkeys in their sustained habitats.
The NDP has made 24 promises, the most robust being $1.8-billion over four years to improve health care for seniors.
The Liberals have made 19 promises that include a $1.5-billion payout to Calgary for public transit and flood-control improvements.
The Green Party has made eight promises. It vows to spend $6.4-billion on "municipal infrastructure."
The Bloc Québécois has made 15, saying it would invest $40-billion in green technologies.
On the niqab issue, the Conservatives are not the only party that would ban women from wearing a face veil while being sworn in as Canadians. The Bloc is in agreement too.