Trudeau launches ad campaign
Radio spots in B.C. target pensions, income-splitting
OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, struggling during a polarizing debate between the Conservatives and NDP on war and national security, are launching a pre-election advertising campaign Wednesday aimed at getting Canadians to think about the economy.
The four radio ads, provided in advance Tuesday to The Vancouver Sun, are targeting key voterich areas including B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
The radio campaign features Trudeau’s voice-over blasting Conservative government policy on pensions and promising a Liberal government will cancel the $2-billion-a-year incomesplitting program, which economists say favours the rich, and use that money to help the middle class.
The radio ads — three are 30 seconds, one is a minute — are the first by the Liberals to focus on specific policy positions.
They are being unveiled at a time when the national debate has focused on the military campaign against the deadly Islamic State group and Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s proposed national security legislation.
Both the government and the New Democratic Party have clear positions in favour and opposed, while Trudeau has sought a nuanced position on both policies that has drawn some criticism.
The ads focus on a Liberal promise to reverse Harper’s decision to gradually increase the eligibility age for Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement cheques from 65 to 67. Trudeau also promises to work with provincial governments to reform and enrich the Canada Pension Plan.
He also goes after the Harper government’s income-splitting program, which allows a higherearning taxpayer with at least one child under 18 to transfer part of their income to a spouse in a lower tax bracket.
“I’ll cancel that tax break for the rich and use that money to help our middle class and those working hard to join it,” Trudeau says. “You know — the people who actually need the help.”
The campaign timing is good, according to University of Victoria political scientist Kimberly Speers, and not just because the Conservatives are unveiling a budget in April.
“It’s tax season and Canadians are paying extra attention to their own financial situation and likely wish they were in a better situation.”
Speers, who listened to the four ads, said they should be effective in reaching the Liberal targets — older Canadians approaching retirement, who tend to vote in larger numbers than youth, and the so-called “middle class.”
The message could resonate with Canadians but only if Trudeau, who has been criticized for lacking solid policies, comes up with a comprehensive platform for “wavering Canadians” to back up the rhetoric, she said.