Political Junkie

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) is calling for a full accounting of the public money spent lobbying in favour of the highly controversial Keystone XL pipeline, according to a CEP press release. 

In recent weeks, several Conservative ministers including Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver have flown to Washington to push the approval of the pipeline while Harper has made it the top priority for Canada's embassies and 22 consular offices in the U.S for three consecutive years.

"The Conservatives have spent millions of public dollars to push for a pipeline that will export Canadian jobs, trample First Nations rights undermine domestic industrial policy and is bad for the environment" said CEP National President Dave Coles.

Ezra Levant slouches in his seat, checking his phone. His mouth is smiling, but his eyes are not. After he exits the stage, he'll glad-hand admirers and do interviews with the CBC and Sun News. He'll even pose for a photo with me. But he's a little off his game, and I think I know why.

Because here at the Manning Networking Convention, in front of a ballroom of his most powerful peers, he just got owned. By a conservationist.

Around 1,000 rallied in Victory Square in downtown Vancouver against the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline today. Bolstered by the support of Idle No More and Downtown Eastside community groups, the crowd gave a noisy 'welcome' to Enbridge as the as the Joint Review Panel hearings came to Vancouver.

The Liberals have inched tantalizingly close to the Tories in popularity, a Nanos poll released last week indicates.  Only a 4.1 gap separates the two parties in the poll with the NDP less than 2 percent behind the Liberals. 

The Nanos poll shows 33.1 per cent of its respondents supporting the Conservative party, while 29 percent said they supported Liberals.  NDP had 27.2 per cent support, according to Nanos. 

The question Nanos asked 1,004 Canadians 18 years of age and older was:

"For those parties you would consider voting for federally, could you please rank your top two."

In British Columbia, Conservative support is higher.

Screen shot of Nanos Research Chart on federal party support in British Columbia