Text Box: Nov. 20/05 Christmas Campaign Certain: PM   Overall election coverage remained diminished in national media Sunday, with Prime Minister Paul Martin concluding a Christmas campaign is now inevitable. Several print and broadcast items highlighted Martin’s comments during a refueling stop in Alaska on his way back from an APEC conference. Martin said he looks forward to campaigning in the snow, and taking his government’s record to the people. Other election media items began cataloguing Members of Parliament who will not run in the next election campaign. News reports predicted Liberal John Efford from Newfoundland will announce Tuesday his decision to leave politics. Media coverage noted he suffers poor health and has been mostly absent from Ottawa for months. Minister of State for Human Resources Claudette Bradshaw, MP from New Brunswick, also received coverage for announcing she will not run again. Sunday columns and editorials were mostly negative in tone towards the Liberal government. Toronto Star columnist Linda McQuaig criticized the Liberal mini-budget for emphasizing tax cuts instead of meaningful government programs, investments or strategies. A Toronto Sun editorial argued the Liberal party has no credibility in defending national unity and attacking new Parti Quebecois leader Andre Boisclair, by virtue of the federal sponsorship scandal. Toronto Sun columnist Douglas Fischer said given the lack of Liberal bench strength, don’t count Prime Minister Paul Martin out for the count. Fischer observed several recent prime ministers remained in power well into their senior citizen years. A Calgary Herald editorial criticized the Liberal government record on high taxes and spending, and declining national productivity. The newspaper said it’s no surprise Canada’s economy and standard of living are slipping further behind the United States. Text Box: Lifeline Communications Group Inc. ‘We make the news make sense’ Text Box: ELECTION ANALYSIS 2005

Minority Parliament Countdown

 

Lifeline Communications will provide ongoing daily analysis of national and regional media coverage as news developments build towards the possible collapse of Canada’s first minority parliament in 25 years.

 

Our media analysis will track the tone of news reports, columns, editorials and opinion pieces. Lifeline Communications will assess efforts of political parties to frame national issues, deliver key messages through the news media, and define the ‘ballot question’ voters may decide on election day.

Resources

Media Links

n Elections Canada

n Liberal Party

n Conservative Party

n NDP

n Green Party

n CTV

n CBC

n Global / CanWest

n Globe and Mail

n Toronto Star