Liberal Party Releases New Ad Boasting Health-Care Investments, COVID Vaccines Procurement

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers an address at the Laurier Club Holiday Event, an event for supporters of the Liberal Party of Canada, in Gatineau, Que., on Dec. 15, 2022. Justin Tang/The Canadian Press

The Liberal Party released a new digital ad on Oct. 31 promoting its achievements in health care, a day after its new national campaign director presented his plan to caucus on the next electoral campaign.

The 30-second ad posted on social media says the Liberal team is “fighting” for Canadians by strengthening public health care.

“After they secured vaccines to protect Canadians from COVID-19, they made investments to hire more family doctors and reduce wait lists,” says the ad, which goes on to mention how Liberals have rolled out national dental care and pharmacare.

The Pharmacare Act became law in October, providing universal access to contraceptives and diabetes medication. Pharmacare and dental care were passed by the minority Liberal government as part of its supply-and-confidence deal with the NDP.

The NDP dropped out of the agreement with the Liberals in September, but says it will still support the government as it seeks to prevent the Conservatives from taking power. The Liberals and the NDP say the Tories will make cuts to the recently adopted medical and dental programs.The Tories have said they aim to reign in government spending and debt.

“Canadians need progress, not cuts. We won’t go back,” says the new Liberal Party ad.

The Tories’ message to cut back on spending and abolish the carbon tax has resonated with voters amid an affordability crunch. The latest Abacus Data poll released on Oct. 27 puts the Conservatives ahead of the Liberals by 22 points in voters’ intentions.

The poll said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approval numbers are now at a net score of -37, with 60 percent of respondents having a negative view of Trudeau, compared to a net score of +4 for Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre.

The new Liberal campaign ad shows multiple images of Trudeau but his name is not pronounced by the narrator. Asked about the ad on Oct. 31, Immigration Minister Marc Miller dismissed a reporter’s suggestion Trudeau is not named because the party seeks to distance itself. “Absolutely not,” he said.

Trudeau’s low favourability with voters has impacted the Liberal caucus, with some MPs asking him to step down in recent weeks to improve the party’s fortunes during the next election. The Liberals’ loss of two stronghold ridings in byelections this summer has sent the message there could be no safe Liberal seat.

Trudeau said he intends to lead his party into the next election and work is underway to prepare for the next campaign.

Andrew Bevan, the Liberal Party’s new national campaign director, presented his electoral plan to caucus on Oct. 30. Bevan has previously worked with former Ontario Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne and former federal Liberal leader Stéphane Dion. Bevan has been serving as chief of staff to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in recent years.