Long election campaign could benefit the Tories

While the party is cash rich, the NDP is also bringing in donations at a record rate

OTTAWA— In past election campaigns, the federal Conservatives were fond of scheduling their events early in the day, hoping to set the agenda and force everyone else to talk about their policy pronouncements.

This time around, it appears Stephen Harper is trying to frame an entire 21⁄ 2- month campaign that way.

“He’s playing agenda-setting,” Conservative strategist Tim Powers said Thursday, referring to indications that Harper will visit Gov. Gen. David Johnston on Sunday, kicking off a gruelling campaign that promises to be one of the longest and most expensive in Canadian political history.

“(He’s) trying to use his experience and also trying to use what resources the Conservatives have — which appear to be more than the other guys — to his advantage.”

Former NDP leader Ed Broadbent said he believes Harper’s early-call strategy is more about trying to steer clear of some serious campaign-trail potholes, notably the Mike Duffy trial and the state of Canadian pocketbooks.

“I think . . . he would think the longer campaign will enable him to get out from under some of the flak that is yet to come, likely on the Duffy trial and also on the downturn of the Canadian economy,” Broadbent said.

The other oft-mentioned advantage to the Tories of a longer campaign is the fundraising angle: the longer the campaign, the more money the parties are forced to spend.

The cash-rich Conservatives have been able to raise more money than the NDP and Liberals combined, but Broadbent said he is confident more cash will pour in for the New Democrats once the official campaign is underway.

“The popularity of the NDP, everybody in the country knows, has been going up not just in recent weeks but in most recent months and that is generating . . . increased donations to the party,” Broadbent said.

“I am absolutely certain . . . once the campaign is officially launched, many people committed to the party will start donating,” he added.

Indeed, that appears to have already started. The party announced Thursday it raised nearly $4.5 million in the second quarter of 2015 — more than any quarter in its history.

Regardless of the price tag, it’s money well-spent in the name of democracy, said the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, founded by Reform party godfather Preston Manning.

The cost of an election “is a drop in the bucket when you consider total government spending,” the centre said.