What the chef’s journey tells us

Campaigning in a big country like Canada is a big logistical challenge for the leader of any political party. In the 36 days of campaigning (33 if we cut out the days of debate, when they are hammered into hotels to heat the line), leaders can’t go everywhere.

So each person’s career path is an indication of their ambitions. Do they feel confident enough to sneak into enemy territory? Or, conversely, are they so unsure of their support that they visit the constituencies they already occupy? Do they visit as many different places as possible or do they return to the same places regularly?

Analyzing the backgrounds of Justin Trudeau, Erin O’Toole, Yves-François Blanchett, Jagmeet Singh and Annie Paul after three weeks of campaigning teaches us a lot.

Let’s settle the Green Party leader’s case right away: Annie Paul hasn’t left the Toronto-center ride yet, the eclectic palace she’s trying to wrestle with to eventually get into the House of Commons—and—she probably hopes. does – to peck his opponents. He had promised to visit other parts of the country but has not done so yet. She will go to Gatineau at least on Wednesday and Thursday for the debate.

The Conservative leader has also not traveled much. Pandemic forces, he chose to campaign partly from a studio in Ottawa. In all, he spent a third (7 out of 21 days) of the campaign in his studio, benefiting from the city he resides in. This allows Erin O’Toole to never take time off during the campaign.

The routes of the three national majors have one thing in common: Vancouver and the surrounding areas (Burnby, Coquitlam, Delta and Surrey). They’ve all been there several times: Erin O’Toole has been there no less than five times, Jagmeet Singh has been there three times and Justin Trudeau twice. Of the 19 ridings in this great region, 11 are held by Liberals, four by the New Democratic Party (NDP), three by the Conservative Party of Canada and Jody Wilson-Raybold, a former independent Liberal who does not represent herself. No. But there were several close three-way race scenes. Everyone is trying to turn things to their advantage this time.

Another city that has received many chef encounters is surprisingly Toronto. The Canadian metropolis was prized by the NDP leader. In general, it was once fertile ground for NPD and is now almost entirely painted red. With four voyages so far, Jagmeet Singh is trying to reclaim territory, such as the former stronghold of Jack Layton or his wife Olivia Chow.

Justin Trudeau has been to Toronto five times, including two in its northern suburbs. It was there, in Markham, Richmond and Thornhill, that the Conservatives won their only three regional seats, two of them from a very narrow lead. The Liberals are trying to win them back. The prime minister made a bold move by going all the way north to Barrie, where the Conservatives occupy the two available seats. For the same reason, Erin O’Toole also went to Markham, to preserve her achievements. The conservative leader has made only one entry into Toronto, presumably to see that he has the stature of a national leader, but no one is deluding himself about his chances of succeeding there.

Hamilton was also popular, hosting the Liberal leader twice and his NDP and Conservative rivals once each. The city has five constituencies: two red, two orange and one blue. Three were won by narrow advances. All the parties predict a heated conflict there. Justin Trudeau continues his way slightly west, toward Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, an area of ​​five all-red ridings he is trying to preserve. This shows some insecurity on the part of liberals.

Winnipeg, in the end, was visited by all three chiefs. Manitoba’s capital is of course only painted red and orange, but all three parties are competitive and aspire to make a profit there.

The liberal leader has not bothered to move to Alberta or Saskatchewan, but has visited New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where he hopes to re-establish his previous supremacy. His Conservative rival went through Edmonton, where the only surviving Alberta seat is located. Jagmeet Singh did the same to maintain his achievements… and for now, oddly enough, only Mr. O’Toole went to Fredericton, the seat in 2019, at the end of a three-way fight, a green candidate. The Liberal Party won narrowly since its passage by.

battle of quebec

In Quebec, Yves-François Blanchett, who does not take any days off, is leading the most aggressive campaign ever. The bloc leader has mostly traveled in 2019 riding on the loser, often by a handful of votes, and whom he is trying to appease. They are the two electoral divisions of Quebec, Montmagny – L’Islet – Camourasca – Rivire-du-Loup, Saint-Maurice – Champlain, Chateaugue – Lacole, Argentina – La Petit-Nation, Longueil, Sherbrooke and Chicótimi – Le Fjord. In a ride that also includes the city of Saguenay, where Yves-François Blanchett has visited twice, Block aspires to replace Erin O’Toole, a Quebec lieutenant in the Québecois Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, former coach of the Saguenaens de Chicotimi. , Richard Martel, who won by only a few hundred votes.

The bloc leader’s national rivals clearly can’t compete, which must also go to the rest of the country. Nevertheless, they all spent three days each in Quebec. Conservative leaders Quebec, their must-see palace, and Trois-Rivires, passed through the scene in 2019 of a three-way race that the Conservatives were eager to win. Justin Trudeau went to Quebec, where he is trying to maintain his two seats, and also Granby, which he believes can be taken from the bloc. Jagmeet Singh finally pats his nose at the Prime Minister on a ride to Papinyu and he visits Yamachiche, where his former star Ruth Allen Broseau is trying to make a comeback.

In short, Erin O’Toole and Yves-François Blanchett, overall, have more often ventured into uninvested territory, which may betray a certain confidence in their ability to make a profit. Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh, for their part, have alternated between acquired territories and territories conquered. After this week’s two debates are over, there will be ten days left for campaigning. It would be enough to see who continues to venture into enemy territory to know who has the wind in their sails.