Scribd
Upload
234 views2 pages

NDP Election Readiness Memo

The NDP is well prepared for a federal election campaign. Financing is secured, allowing the party to spend $23 million. The platform has undergone revisions and costing of announcements is underway. Advanced planning for a leader's tour, campaign headquarters, and candidate nominations is complete. Polling shows the NDP base is solidified behind the leader while Liberal voters want to defeat Conservatives but dislike their leader and may support the NDP instead. The final phase of election planning will take place after a caucus retreat at the end of January.

Uploaded by

CBCPolitics
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
234 views2 pages

NDP Election Readiness Memo

The NDP is well prepared for a federal election campaign. Financing is secured, allowing the party to spend $23 million. The platform has undergone revisions and costing of announcements is underway. Advanced planning for a leader's tour, campaign headquarters, and candidate nominations is complete. Polling shows the NDP base is solidified behind the leader while Liberal voters want to defeat Conservatives but dislike their leader and may support the NDP instead. The final phase of election planning will take place after a caucus retreat at the end of January.

Uploaded by

CBCPolitics
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

 

Memo    
 
TO:     Hon.  Jack  Layton,  Leader  of  the  New  Democratic  Party  of  Canada    
FROM:     Brad  Lavigne,  Campaign  Director,  New  Democratic  Party  of  Canada    
DATE:     Monday,  January  17,  2011  
SUBJECT:     State  of  Election  Readiness    
 
 
On  behalf  of  the  Election  Planning  Committee,  I  submit  this  memo  outlining  the  
Party’s  election  campaign  readiness  at  this  time.    In  summary,  the  Party  is  prepared  
to  wage  an  aggressive  federal  election  campaign  at  any  time.    I  have  given  the  staff  
team  here  the  readiness  date  of  mid-­‐February  to  be  ready  to  go  on  your  signal.    
 
 
FINANCING    
The  debt  from  the  2008  election  campaign  has  been  paid  off  in  its  entirety.  
Financing  has  been  secured  that  will  allow  the  Party  to  spend  the  central  legal  
maximum,  estimated  at  approximately  $23  million,  in  the  next  campaign.  The  
Election  Planning  Committee  has  adopted  a  campaign  budget  -­‐  the  largest  in  our  
Party’s  history.      
 
PLATFORM  &  ANNOUNCEMENTS    
The  platform  has  been  through  a  number  of  edits  by  the  platform  group.  
Announcements  are  being  costed  and  cross-­‐referenced  with  Department  of  Finance  
figures.  We  will  get  the  next  level  of  input  from  the  Caucus  at  the  Strategy  Session  
later  in  January.    
 
LEADER’S  TOUR    
The  Party  has  secured  air  and  ground  transportation  for  a  leader’s  tour.  Decaling  of  
planes  and  busses  can  be  done  on  short  notice.  A  full  35-­‐day  tour  has  been  drafted  
and  our  advance  team  is  scouting  announcement  locations  now.      
 
CAMPAIGN  HQ  &  STAFF    
The  Campaign  Headquarters  in  our  downtown  building  has  been  completely  
renovated  and  is  ready  to  host  the  largest  campaign  staff  compliment  our  Party  has  
ever  seen.    We  have  just  a  few  positions  that  still  require  filling,  but  I  am  confident  if  
a  campaign  becomes  imminent  we  will  be  in  a  good  position  to  hire  the  final.  We  will  
be  holding  a  Campaign  HQ  launch  party  be  House  returns      
 
ADVERTISING    
We  have  been  working  for  many  months  with  our  French  and  English  language  ad  
firms.  Tomorrow  we  will  film  the  next  round  of  ads  for  English  markets,  while  the  
French  ads  will  be  filmed  in  the  coming  days.    
 
CANDIDATES    
We  are  in  the  final  stages  of  completing  our  slate  of  candidates.  We  are  on  track  to  
have  308  candidates  vetted  and  nominated  by  the  end  of  February/early  March.      
 
POLLING  &  FOCUS  GROUP  RESEARCH    
The  Party  has  recently  completed  a  comprehensive  round  of  polling  and  focus  
groups.  The  results  are  promising,  allowing  the  Party  to  plan  a  growth  campaign  –  
one  in  which  we  will  re-­‐elect  each  of  our  incumbent  MPs  while  electing  a  large  
number  of  next  tier  seats.  Of  the  next  tier  of  seats  for  us,  2/3rds  are  currently  held  
by  the  Conservative  Party.  In  these  ridings  Liberal  voters,  particularly  women  and  
young  people,  want  to  defeat  the  Conservatives  but  do  not  like  Mr.  Ignatieff.  They  do  
like  you  and  are  very  willing  to  vote  NDP.  The  research  suggests  that  our  base  has  
solidified  behind  your  leadership,  while  the  Liberal  base  is  very  unimpressed  with  
Mr.  Ignatieff  and  volatile.  There  is  growing  sense  that  Mr.  Ignatieff  is  not  going  to  be  
involved  in  federal  politics  after  the  next  election  and  therefore  the  Liberals  will  be  
involved  in  another  leadership  race.  As  a  result,  more  and  more  former  Liberals  are  
looking  to  us  to  defeat  their  local  Conservative  MP.    
 
NEXT  STEPS    
The  final  phase  of  planning  will  take  at  a  urgently  called  Election  Planning  
Committee  meeting  to  take  place  after  the  Caucus  Retreat  in  Ottawa  on  January  28  
and  29,  2011.  
 
-­‐  Brad      
 
 

You might also like