Ouimet still hasn't responded to Commons committee request

Canada's former public sector integrity commissioner, Christiane Ouimet, still has not responded to repeated requests sent since mid-December for her to appear before the House Public Accounts Committee at its first meeting of the Commons winter session on Feb. 1.

The committee's chair, Liberal Joe Volpe (Eglinton-Lawrence, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week that he'll ask the committee whether it wants to give him the authority to track down Ms. Ouimet and get her before committee.

That might mean issuing a summons. He will also ask if the committee wants to expand the study of Ms. Ouimet's former office to hear from experts in governance and transparency who have asked to appear on the topic.

Ms. Ouimet suddenly retired Oct. 18 three years into a seven-year term. She was the first head of the office created in 2007 to shield whistleblowers in the public service from reprisals.

Three complaints about Ms. Ouimet's managerial style led Auditor General Sheila Fraser to investigate her office and release a report Dec. 9 that found that Ms. Ouimet berated her staff and "failed to properly perform her mandate." During her tenure, Ms. Ouimet handled 228 cases, many with no investigation. She found no wrongdoing or reprisals for whistleblowing stemming from the complaints received.

The House Public Accounts Committee tasked with studying Ms. Fraser's report asked that Ms. Ouimet appear Dec. 14. But it had trouble reaching her without the proper coordinates.

The committee authorized Mr. Volpe to write Ms. Ouimet to ask her to appear Feb. 1. A letter was sent Dec. 16.

"The committee clerk has left messages on her voicemail. We sent a letter by priority post," Mr. Volpe told The Hill Times Jan. 25. "[The clerk has] followed up with another phone call and we're still not getting a response."

The messages were left at her home address, said Mr. Volpe.

The committee didn't get to the point of knocking on her door, but it might come to that.

"I anticipate that, on the basis of the committee's view before we broke for Christmas break, that it was the committee's intention to have her here. So we'll just look at how to do that," he said.

It could issue a summons and Ms. Ouimet would be obligated to come. Only MPs, Senators and the Governor General can choose not to attend when summoned to a committee, Parliamentary Law Clerk Rob Walsh told the Ethics Committee last June.

Besides Ms. Ouimet, the committee has invited Privy Council Clerk Wayne Wouters to appear Feb. 1.

This study is a priority for the committee, said Mr. Volpe. But there are other important items on its agenda this winter including the study of the 2010 Public Accounts, the auditor general's fall 2010 report on the acquisition of military helicopters, and perhaps even aspects of the contracts issued by the public works department for renovation of the

PM Harper should return multi-millions of dollars in per-vote subsidies, says NDP

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will campaign to eliminate the multi-million dollars in per-vote subsidies for political parties in the next election because they've "made no effort to go out and raise any money," but the NDP says if the Prime Minister really believes it is wrong, he could have returned the $10-million annually the Conservative Party has received since 2006.

But experts say giving up the money when no other party is willing to do the same is a "nonstarter."

NDP MP Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week that the Conservatives should reject the $10-million the

PM Harper should return multi-millions of dollars in per-vote subsidies, says NDP

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will campaign to eliminate the multi-million dollars in per-vote subsidies for political parties in the next election because they've "made no effort to go out and raise any money," but the NDP says if the Prime Minister really believes it is wrong, he could have returned the $10-million annually the Conservative Party has received since 2006.

But experts say giving up the money when no other party is willing to do the same is a "nonstarter."

NDP MP Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week that the Conservatives should reject the $10-million the

PM Harper should return multi-millions of dollars in per-vote subsidies, says NDP

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will campaign to eliminate the multi-million dollars in per-vote subsidies for political parties in the next election because they've "made no effort to go out and raise any money," but the NDP says if the Prime Minister really believes it is wrong, he could have returned the $10-million annually the Conservative Party has received since 2006.

But experts say giving up the money when no other party is willing to do the same is a "nonstarter."

NDP MP Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week that the Conservatives should reject the $10-million the

PM Harper should return multi-millions of dollars in per-vote subsidies, says NDP

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will campaign to eliminate the multi-million dollars in per-vote subsidies for political parties in the next election because they've "made no effort to go out and raise any money," but the NDP says if the Prime Minister really believes it is wrong, he could have returned the $10-million annually the Conservative Party has received since 2006.

But experts say giving up the money when no other party is willing to do the same is a "nonstarter."

NDP MP Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week that the Conservatives should reject the $10-million the

PM Harper should return multi-millions of dollars in per-vote subsidies, says NDP

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will campaign to eliminate the multi-million dollars in per-vote subsidies for political parties in the next election because they've "made no effort to go out and raise any money," but the NDP says if the Prime Minister really believes it is wrong, he could have returned the $10-million annually the Conservative Party has received since 2006.

But experts say giving up the money when no other party is willing to do the same is a "nonstarter."

NDP MP Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week that the Conservatives should reject the $10-million the

PM Harper should return multi-millions of dollars in per-vote subsidies, says NDP

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will campaign to eliminate the multi-million dollars in per-vote subsidies for political parties in the next election because they've "made no effort to go out and raise any money," but the NDP says if the Prime Minister really believes it is wrong, he could have returned the $10-million annually the Conservative Party has received since 2006.

But experts say giving up the money when no other party is willing to do the same is a "nonstarter."

NDP MP Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week that the Conservatives should reject the $10-million the

PM Harper should return multi-millions of dollars in per-vote subsidies, says NDP

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will campaign to eliminate the multi-million dollars in per-vote subsidies for political parties in the next election because they've "made no effort to go out and raise any money," but the NDP says if the Prime Minister really believes it is wrong, he could have returned the $10-million annually the Conservative Party has received since 2006.

But experts say giving up the money when no other party is willing to do the same is a "nonstarter."

NDP MP Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh, Ont.) told The Hill Times last week that the Conservatives should reject the $10-million the

Kent talked up 'ethical oil' sands a week before his official department briefing

Environment Minister Peter Kent had not yet received his first briefing from his new department when he set off a storm of controversy by launching a campaign in defence of Alberta's oil sands, prompting environmentalists to say there is little doubt Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave him his marching orders to begin selling the image of "ethical oil" to the U.S. and beyond.

"If in fact he proceeded in advance of his departmental briefing, that lack of prudence and consideration is very worrisome," Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, told The Hill Times. "The last thing this complicated

Kent talked up 'ethical oil' sands a week before his official department briefing

Environment Minister Peter Kent had not yet received his first briefing from his new department when he set off a storm of controversy by launching a campaign in defence of Alberta's oil sands, prompting environmentalists to say there is little doubt Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave him his marching orders to begin selling the image of "ethical oil" to the U.S. and beyond.

"If in fact he proceeded in advance of his departmental briefing, that lack of prudence and consideration is very worrisome," Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, told The Hill Times. "The last thing this complicated

Kent talked up 'ethical oil' sands a week before his official department briefing

Environment Minister Peter Kent had not yet received his first briefing from his new department when he set off a storm of controversy by launching a campaign in defence of Alberta's oil sands, prompting environmentalists to say there is little doubt Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave him his marching orders to begin selling the image of "ethical oil" to the U.S. and beyond.

"If in fact he proceeded in advance of his departmental briefing, that lack of prudence and consideration is very worrisome," Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, told The Hill Times. "The last thing this complicated

Kent talked up 'ethical oil' sands a week before his official department briefing

Environment Minister Peter Kent had not yet received his first briefing from his new department when he set off a storm of controversy by launching a campaign in defence of Alberta's oil sands, prompting environmentalists to say there is little doubt Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave him his marching orders to begin selling the image of "ethical oil" to the U.S. and beyond.

"If in fact he proceeded in advance of his departmental briefing, that lack of prudence and consideration is very worrisome," Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, told The Hill Times. "The last thing this complicated

Kent talked up 'ethical oil' sands a week before his official department briefing

Environment Minister Peter Kent had not yet received his first briefing from his new department when he set off a storm of controversy by launching a campaign in defence of Alberta's oil sands, prompting environmentalists to say there is little doubt Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave him his marching orders to begin selling the image of "ethical oil" to the U.S. and beyond.

"If in fact he proceeded in advance of his departmental briefing, that lack of prudence and consideration is very worrisome," Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, told The Hill Times. "The last thing this complicated

Kent talked up 'ethical oil' sands a week before his official department briefing

Environment Minister Peter Kent had not yet received his first briefing from his new department when he set off a storm of controversy by launching a campaign in defence of Alberta's oil sands, prompting environmentalists to say there is little doubt Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave him his marching orders to begin selling the image of "ethical oil" to the U.S. and beyond.

"If in fact he proceeded in advance of his departmental briefing, that lack of prudence and consideration is very worrisome," Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, told The Hill Times. "The last thing this complicated

Kent talked up 'ethical oil' sands a week before his official department briefing

Environment Minister Peter Kent had not yet received his first briefing from his new department when he set off a storm of controversy by launching a campaign in defence of Alberta's oil sands, prompting environmentalists to say there is little doubt Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave him his marching orders to begin selling the image of "ethical oil" to the U.S. and beyond.

"If in fact he proceeded in advance of his departmental briefing, that lack of prudence and consideration is very worrisome," Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, told The Hill Times. "The last thing this complicated

Conservatives to target 45 vulnerable ridings in effort to win majority next time

The federal Conservatives will focus on flipping 45 opposition-held seats across the country in the next election in an effort to win a majority government, insiders say.

The strategy is based on how close the minority governing Conservatives came to winning those ridings in the 2008 election, certain wedge issues across the country, how many star candidates they can recruit and the history of the ridings.

To finally win that elusive majority government, the Conservatives must be successful in holding onto their 143 seats and winning just one-quarter of the 45 ridings they're targeting. But the Liberals say there's "zero per cent chance" of that happening.

Conservative strategist Tim Powers, vice-president of Summa Strategies, said it's not a secret that the Conservatives would target seats that they currently don't hold but said a good indicator of which seats they would specifically go after is the results of the last election campaign. He noted that close seats, in which the Conservatives came in second by a margin of five to 10 per cent, is obvious to focus on.

In 2008, the Conservatives came in second in 32 of the closest races across the country. Of those, 21 belong to the Liberals. The NDP holds eight of the ridings the Conservatives came second in, and the Bloc Québécois holdsthree.

Wedge issues are also playing a role in which ridings the Conservatives are focusing on. For example, the long-gun registry, which many Conservative voters support repealing, will most likely be used as an issue to sway voters to change their vote, as are other rural issues.

It's expected the Conservatives will target the ridings in which opposition MPs who originally voted to scrap the long-gun registry under a private member's bill then switched their vote to not allow the bill to continue, in effect killing any chance of scrapping the registry in this Parliament.

Pollster Nik Nanos recently told The Globe and Mail

Conservatives to target 45 vulnerable ridings in effort to win majority next time

The federal Conservatives will focus on flipping 45 opposition-held seats across the country in the next election in an effort to win a majority government, insiders say.

The strategy is based on how close the minority governing Conservatives came to winning those ridings in the 2008 election, certain wedge issues across the country, how many star candidates they can recruit and the history of the ridings.

To finally win that elusive majority government, the Conservatives must be successful in holding onto their 143 seats and winning just one-quarter of the 45 ridings they're targeting. But the Liberals say there's "zero per cent chance" of that happening.

Conservative strategist Tim Powers, vice-president of Summa Strategies, said it's not a secret that the Conservatives would target seats that they currently don't hold but said a good indicator of which seats they would specifically go after is the results of the last election campaign. He noted that close seats, in which the Conservatives came in second by a margin of five to 10 per cent, is obvious to focus on.

In 2008, the Conservatives came in second in 32 of the closest races across the country. Of those, 21 belong to the Liberals. The NDP holds eight of the ridings the Conservatives came second in, and the Bloc Québécois holdsthree.

Wedge issues are also playing a role in which ridings the Conservatives are focusing on. For example, the long-gun registry, which many Conservative voters support repealing, will most likely be used as an issue to sway voters to change their vote, as are other rural issues.

It's expected the Conservatives will target the ridings in which opposition MPs who originally voted to scrap the long-gun registry under a private member's bill then switched their vote to not allow the bill to continue, in effect killing any chance of scrapping the registry in this Parliament.

Pollster Nik Nanos recently told The Globe and Mail

Conservatives to target 45 vulnerable ridings in effort to win majority next time

The federal Conservatives will focus on flipping 45 opposition-held seats across the country in the next election in an effort to win a majority government, insiders say.

The strategy is based on how close the minority governing Conservatives came to winning those ridings in the 2008 election, certain wedge issues across the country, how many star candidates they can recruit and the history of the ridings.

To finally win that elusive majority government, the Conservatives must be successful in holding onto their 143 seats and winning just one-quarter of the 45 ridings they're targeting. But the Liberals say there's "zero per cent chance" of that happening.

Conservative strategist Tim Powers, vice-president of Summa Strategies, said it's not a secret that the Conservatives would target seats that they currently don't hold but said a good indicator of which seats they would specifically go after is the results of the last election campaign. He noted that close seats, in which the Conservatives came in second by a margin of five to 10 per cent, is obvious to focus on.

In 2008, the Conservatives came in second in 32 of the closest races across the country. Of those, 21 belong to the Liberals. The NDP holds eight of the ridings the Conservatives came second in, and the Bloc Québécois holdsthree.

Wedge issues are also playing a role in which ridings the Conservatives are focusing on. For example, the long-gun registry, which many Conservative voters support repealing, will most likely be used as an issue to sway voters to change their vote, as are other rural issues.

It's expected the Conservatives will target the ridings in which opposition MPs who originally voted to scrap the long-gun registry under a private member's bill then switched their vote to not allow the bill to continue, in effect killing any chance of scrapping the registry in this Parliament.

Pollster Nik Nanos recently told The Globe and Mail

Conservatives to target 45 vulnerable ridings in effort to win majority next time

The federal Conservatives will focus on flipping 45 opposition-held seats across the country in the next election in an effort to win a majority government, insiders say.

The strategy is based on how close the minority governing Conservatives came to winning those ridings in the 2008 election, certain wedge issues across the country, how many star candidates they can recruit and the history of the ridings.

To finally win that elusive majority government, the Conservatives must be successful in holding onto their 143 seats and winning just one-quarter of the 45 ridings they're targeting. But the Liberals say there's "zero per cent chance" of that happening.

Conservative strategist Tim Powers, vice-president of Summa Strategies, said it's not a secret that the Conservatives would target seats that they currently don't hold but said a good indicator of which seats they would specifically go after is the results of the last election campaign. He noted that close seats, in which the Conservatives came in second by a margin of five to 10 per cent, is obvious to focus on.

In 2008, the Conservatives came in second in 32 of the closest races across the country. Of those, 21 belong to the Liberals. The NDP holds eight of the ridings the Conservatives came second in, and the Bloc Québécois holdsthree.

Wedge issues are also playing a role in which ridings the Conservatives are focusing on. For example, the long-gun registry, which many Conservative voters support repealing, will most likely be used as an issue to sway voters to change their vote, as are other rural issues.

It's expected the Conservatives will target the ridings in which opposition MPs who originally voted to scrap the long-gun registry under a private member's bill then switched their vote to not allow the bill to continue, in effect killing any chance of scrapping the registry in this Parliament.

Pollster Nik Nanos recently told The Globe and Mail

Conservatives to target 45 vulnerable ridings in effort to win majority next time

The federal Conservatives will focus on flipping 45 opposition-held seats across the country in the next election in an effort to win a majority government, insiders say.

The strategy is based on how close the minority governing Conservatives came to winning those ridings in the 2008 election, certain wedge issues across the country, how many star candidates they can recruit and the history of the ridings.

To finally win that elusive majority government, the Conservatives must be successful in holding onto their 143 seats and winning just one-quarter of the 45 ridings they're targeting. But the Liberals say there's "zero per cent chance" of that happening.

Conservative strategist Tim Powers, vice-president of Summa Strategies, said it's not a secret that the Conservatives would target seats that they currently don't hold but said a good indicator of which seats they would specifically go after is the results of the last election campaign. He noted that close seats, in which the Conservatives came in second by a margin of five to 10 per cent, is obvious to focus on.

In 2008, the Conservatives came in second in 32 of the closest races across the country. Of those, 21 belong to the Liberals. The NDP holds eight of the ridings the Conservatives came second in, and the Bloc Québécois holdsthree.

Wedge issues are also playing a role in which ridings the Conservatives are focusing on. For example, the long-gun registry, which many Conservative voters support repealing, will most likely be used as an issue to sway voters to change their vote, as are other rural issues.

It's expected the Conservatives will target the ridings in which opposition MPs who originally voted to scrap the long-gun registry under a private member's bill then switched their vote to not allow the bill to continue, in effect killing any chance of scrapping the registry in this Parliament.

Pollster Nik Nanos recently told The Globe and Mail

Conservatives to target 45 vulnerable ridings in effort to win majority next time

The federal Conservatives will focus on flipping 45 opposition-held seats across the country in the next election in an effort to win a majority government, insiders say.

The strategy is based on how close the minority governing Conservatives came to winning those ridings in the 2008 election, certain wedge issues across the country, how many star candidates they can recruit and the history of the ridings.

To finally win that elusive majority government, the Conservatives must be successful in holding onto their 143 seats and winning just one-quarter of the 45 ridings they're targeting. But the Liberals say there's "zero per cent chance" of that happening.

Conservative strategist Tim Powers, vice-president of Summa Strategies, said it's not a secret that the Conservatives would target seats that they currently don't hold but said a good indicator of which seats they would specifically go after is the results of the last election campaign. He noted that close seats, in which the Conservatives came in second by a margin of five to 10 per cent, is obvious to focus on.

In 2008, the Conservatives came in second in 32 of the closest races across the country. Of those, 21 belong to the Liberals. The NDP holds eight of the ridings the Conservatives came second in, and the Bloc Québécois holdsthree.

Wedge issues are also playing a role in which ridings the Conservatives are focusing on. For example, the long-gun registry, which many Conservative voters support repealing, will most likely be used as an issue to sway voters to change their vote, as are other rural issues.

It's expected the Conservatives will target the ridings in which opposition MPs who originally voted to scrap the long-gun registry under a private member's bill then switched their vote to not allow the bill to continue, in effect killing any chance of scrapping the registry in this Parliament.

Pollster Nik Nanos recently told The Globe and Mail

Conservatives to target 45 vulnerable ridings in effort to win majority next time

The federal Conservatives will focus on flipping 45 opposition-held seats across the country in the next election in an effort to win a majority government, insiders say.

The strategy is based on how close the minority governing Conservatives came to winning those ridings in the 2008 election, certain wedge issues across the country, how many star candidates they can recruit and the history of the ridings.

To finally win that elusive majority government, the Conservatives must be successful in holding onto their 143 seats and winning just one-quarter of the 45 ridings they're targeting. But the Liberals say there's "zero per cent chance" of that happening.

Conservative strategist Tim Powers, vice-president of Summa Strategies, said it's not a secret that the Conservatives would target seats that they currently don't hold but said a good indicator of which seats they would specifically go after is the results of the last election campaign. He noted that close seats, in which the Conservatives came in second by a margin of five to 10 per cent, is obvious to focus on.

In 2008, the Conservatives came in second in 32 of the closest races across the country. Of those, 21 belong to the Liberals. The NDP holds eight of the ridings the Conservatives came second in, and the Bloc Québécois holdsthree.

Wedge issues are also playing a role in which ridings the Conservatives are focusing on. For example, the long-gun registry, which many Conservative voters support repealing, will most likely be used as an issue to sway voters to change their vote, as are other rural issues.

It's expected the Conservatives will target the ridings in which opposition MPs who originally voted to scrap the long-gun registry under a private member's bill then switched their vote to not allow the bill to continue, in effect killing any chance of scrapping the registry in this Parliament.

Pollster Nik Nanos recently told The Globe and Mail

Tories prepare to mount full offensive in Toronto ridings in next election

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are on a roll in Ontario that could finally allow Mr. Harper to crack the Liberal bastion that has eluded him since he first led his party into a federal general election in 2004—the city of Toronto.

With 24 concentrated ridings, it is the last area of Ontario left for the Conservatives to make enough headway that, combined with other gains, could tip Mr. Harper into a majority in the election widely expected to take place early in 2011.

Pollster Nik Nanos pointed out to The Hill Times that his firm's latest numbers give the Conservatives 42 per cent of support from decided voters in the seat-rich province, nearly a third of the House of Commons. The Liberals registered at only 35 per cent, a 20 to 30 percentage point drop from the heydays of prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"We know that when the Conservatives are in majority territory, usually they are winning seats that they held in

Tories prepare to mount full offensive in Toronto ridings in next election

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are on a roll in Ontario that could finally allow Mr. Harper to crack the Liberal bastion that has eluded him since he first led his party into a federal general election in 2004—the city of Toronto.

With 24 concentrated ridings, it is the last area of Ontario left for the Conservatives to make enough headway that, combined with other gains, could tip Mr. Harper into a majority in the election widely expected to take place early in 2011.

Pollster Nik Nanos pointed out to The Hill Times that his firm's latest numbers give the Conservatives 42 per cent of support from decided voters in the seat-rich province, nearly a third of the House of Commons. The Liberals registered at only 35 per cent, a 20 to 30 percentage point drop from the heydays of prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"We know that when the Conservatives are in majority territory, usually they are winning seats that they held in

Tories prepare to mount full offensive in Toronto ridings in next election

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are on a roll in Ontario that could finally allow Mr. Harper to crack the Liberal bastion that has eluded him since he first led his party into a federal general election in 2004—the city of Toronto.

With 24 concentrated ridings, it is the last area of Ontario left for the Conservatives to make enough headway that, combined with other gains, could tip Mr. Harper into a majority in the election widely expected to take place early in 2011.

Pollster Nik Nanos pointed out to The Hill Times that his firm's latest numbers give the Conservatives 42 per cent of support from decided voters in the seat-rich province, nearly a third of the House of Commons. The Liberals registered at only 35 per cent, a 20 to 30 percentage point drop from the heydays of prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"We know that when the Conservatives are in majority territory, usually they are winning seats that they held in

Tories prepare to mount full offensive in Toronto ridings in next election

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are on a roll in Ontario that could finally allow Mr. Harper to crack the Liberal bastion that has eluded him since he first led his party into a federal general election in 2004—the city of Toronto.

With 24 concentrated ridings, it is the last area of Ontario left for the Conservatives to make enough headway that, combined with other gains, could tip Mr. Harper into a majority in the election widely expected to take place early in 2011.

Pollster Nik Nanos pointed out to The Hill Times that his firm's latest numbers give the Conservatives 42 per cent of support from decided voters in the seat-rich province, nearly a third of the House of Commons. The Liberals registered at only 35 per cent, a 20 to 30 percentage point drop from the heydays of prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"We know that when the Conservatives are in majority territory, usually they are winning seats that they held in

Tories prepare to mount full offensive in Toronto ridings in next election

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are on a roll in Ontario that could finally allow Mr. Harper to crack the Liberal bastion that has eluded him since he first led his party into a federal general election in 2004—the city of Toronto.

With 24 concentrated ridings, it is the last area of Ontario left for the Conservatives to make enough headway that, combined with other gains, could tip Mr. Harper into a majority in the election widely expected to take place early in 2011.

Pollster Nik Nanos pointed out to The Hill Times that his firm's latest numbers give the Conservatives 42 per cent of support from decided voters in the seat-rich province, nearly a third of the House of Commons. The Liberals registered at only 35 per cent, a 20 to 30 percentage point drop from the heydays of prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"We know that when the Conservatives are in majority territory, usually they are winning seats that they held in

Tories prepare to mount full offensive in Toronto ridings in next election

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are on a roll in Ontario that could finally allow Mr. Harper to crack the Liberal bastion that has eluded him since he first led his party into a federal general election in 2004—the city of Toronto.

With 24 concentrated ridings, it is the last area of Ontario left for the Conservatives to make enough headway that, combined with other gains, could tip Mr. Harper into a majority in the election widely expected to take place early in 2011.

Pollster Nik Nanos pointed out to The Hill Times that his firm's latest numbers give the Conservatives 42 per cent of support from decided voters in the seat-rich province, nearly a third of the House of Commons. The Liberals registered at only 35 per cent, a 20 to 30 percentage point drop from the heydays of prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"We know that when the Conservatives are in majority territory, usually they are winning seats that they held in

Tories prepare to mount full offensive in Toronto ridings in next election

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are on a roll in Ontario that could finally allow Mr. Harper to crack the Liberal bastion that has eluded him since he first led his party into a federal general election in 2004—the city of Toronto.

With 24 concentrated ridings, it is the last area of Ontario left for the Conservatives to make enough headway that, combined with other gains, could tip Mr. Harper into a majority in the election widely expected to take place early in 2011.

Pollster Nik Nanos pointed out to The Hill Times that his firm's latest numbers give the Conservatives 42 per cent of support from decided voters in the seat-rich province, nearly a third of the House of Commons. The Liberals registered at only 35 per cent, a 20 to 30 percentage point drop from the heydays of prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"We know that when the Conservatives are in majority territory, usually they are winning seats that they held in

Tories prepare to mount full offensive in Toronto ridings in next election

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are on a roll in Ontario that could finally allow Mr. Harper to crack the Liberal bastion that has eluded him since he first led his party into a federal general election in 2004—the city of Toronto.

With 24 concentrated ridings, it is the last area of Ontario left for the Conservatives to make enough headway that, combined with other gains, could tip Mr. Harper into a majority in the election widely expected to take place early in 2011.

Pollster Nik Nanos pointed out to The Hill Times that his firm's latest numbers give the Conservatives 42 per cent of support from decided voters in the seat-rich province, nearly a third of the House of Commons. The Liberals registered at only 35 per cent, a 20 to 30 percentage point drop from the heydays of prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"We know that when the Conservatives are in majority territory, usually they are winning seats that they held in

Tories prepare to mount full offensive in Toronto ridings in next election

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives are on a roll in Ontario that could finally allow Mr. Harper to crack the Liberal bastion that has eluded him since he first led his party into a federal general election in 2004—the city of Toronto.

With 24 concentrated ridings, it is the last area of Ontario left for the Conservatives to make enough headway that, combined with other gains, could tip Mr. Harper into a majority in the election widely expected to take place early in 2011.

Pollster Nik Nanos pointed out to The Hill Times that his firm's latest numbers give the Conservatives 42 per cent of support from decided voters in the seat-rich province, nearly a third of the House of Commons. The Liberals registered at only 35 per cent, a 20 to 30 percentage point drop from the heydays of prime minister Jean Chrétien.

"We know that when the Conservatives are in majority territory, usually they are winning seats that they held in