Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative party and a conservative-linked pressure group are ratcheting up digital advertising targeting Mark Carney amidst a Liberal resurgence in national polls.
The Conservatives’ latest English-language ad labels Carney as “sneaky” – Poilievre and co.’s preferred nickname for the former central banker – and was blasted out 198 times since March 11, two days after Carney’s landslide victory in the Liberal leadership race.
That’s in addition to ads the party has been running referring to “Carbon Tax Carney” – despite the Liberal leader’s pledge to get rid of consumer carbon pricing – and suggesting U.S. President Donald Trump would seize on Carney’s “weakness,” which have been running since Feb. 28.
In both cases, the ads were targeted mostly at voters in Ontario and British Columbia – two key provinces for any party looking to form a majority government in the next election.
The campaigns capitalize on two advantages Conservatives have, even as national polling has dramatically tightened: time and money.
Pierre Poilievre’s team has had two years to prepare their digital outreach machine – a crucial component of modern election campaigns – and are flush with cash from record-setting donations from that period.
Carney, once he becomes prime minister on Friday, is expected to have more like two weeks to get the Liberal campaign machine retooled and ready.
“It’s a race to define (Carney). As much as he’s known for his resume, I’m not sure people know Mark Carney all that well beyond a couple of top-line points,” said Dennis Matthews, the president of Creative Currency and a former advertising adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
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“There’s going to be incredible interest. He’s a new prime minister, but people form their opinions quickly and there’s a race between him trying to do it on his terms and the Conservatives trying to do it on their terms.”
But Matthews noted that the Conservatives’ considerable war chest for advertising spending is a factor to watch.
“Nobody goes into, call it $10 million or more in negative advertising and comes out…
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