Why Justin Trudeau’s positive approach might take down the Conservatives
Less than 24 hours after Justin Trudeau was elected leader of the Liberal party in 2013, the Conservative party responded with an attack ad on YouTube, calling into question Trudeau’s judgment and capability as a new leader. Of course, the Conservative party is no stranger to the attack ad, having spared no expense on negative ads in the past two federal elections. This time around, however, Canadians are seeing something different.
Is it simply that Canadians are getting tired of the negativity often associated with politics? Perhaps instead it’s that Trudeau’s optimistic attitude has instilled some confidence in Canadians – the kind that just cannot be bought with an abrasive commercial.
As the October 2015 federal election approaches, attack ads fill the media, leaving Canadians to question the efficacy of negativity in the political sphere.
Attack ads, although commonplace in politics, serve to distract the voter from the real issues and get them focused on the “weaknesses” of the opposition. Unfortunately, in Canada today, attack ads are keeping people away from the polls. The negative connotations that often precede politics and election periods can leave voters indifferent and cynical, and therefore less likely to cast a ballot. It’s no wonder voter turnout is on the decline.
With this in mind, many are questioning why Harper thinks that attack ads are going to win him this election.
As the 2015 Federal election approaches, ads claiming Trudeau is “in over his head” and “not ready to govern” are sliding back into the media. All this serves to do is steer attention away from the fact that Harper hasn’t yet delivered on his promises.
When Harper ran his first two campaigns, he promised he would be tough on crime and make the country safer for all Canadians. Though he may have toughened prison rules and cracked down on drug dealers, young offenders, and sex offenders, a recent poll suggests that Canadians feel less safe than they did a few years ago.
Why is Harper’s “tough on crime” mentality not resonating with Canadians? The easy answer is a politics of fear. According to Harper, Canadians are in so much danger that rural citizens should carry firearms, and judges should give police officers and Canadian Security Intelligence Service agents permission to break the law in dealing with terrorism.
The Conservatives seem to be hoping to get re-elected by using paranoia: instilling fear in Canadians so they buy the tough-on-crime, hard-on-terrorism approach.
Steve Sullivan, Executive Director of Ottawa Victim Services, recently pointed out in an article for iPolitics that Harper “can’t have it both ways.” Harper can’t claim that his platform all these years was to get tough on crime and terrorism, Sullivan says, while insisting that Canada is more dangerous today than it was when he was first elected.
Attack ads will only get the Conservatives so far. They can paint the opposition as “soft on ISIS,” but with a delayed budget, Bill C-51, and the explosion of the niqab debate, the Conservatives are taking some pretty hard PR hits. Perhaps eventually, the positivity demonstrated by Trudeau and Mulcair may be enough to get Canadians interested in politics again.