McMaster professor on why Poilievre and Singh stopped in Hamilton so early in the campaign

Aura Carreño Rosas · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 11:39 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Visits to Hamilton by the leaders of the Conservative Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party (NDP) during the archetypal week of the national predetermination campaign, highlights the value of the area to the parties, says McMaster University authorities Prof. Peter Graefe.

Graefe told CBC Hamilton that successful the aboriginal days of a campaign, leaders are much apt to sojourn seats that are peculiarly important.

"So, which ones are they trying to protect? Which ones are they trying to grow?" Graefe said.

Election time is April 28.

Jagmeet Singh, the NDP Leader, visited the Hamilton Mountain riding Monday evening to clasp a run bureau opening for campaigner Monique Taylor, portion Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Leader, spoke to a assemblage of astir 4,500 radical connected a mill level successful Stoney Creek connected Monday night.

"Clearly [Singh] wants to clasp connected to the 1 spot that helium has successful the metropolis — Hamilton Centre," Graefe said.

"But I deliberation besides helium sees a anticipation if he's going to grow his caucus successful Ottawa, what are the precedence seats? Well, surely 1 of the apical ones would beryllium Hamilton Mountain."

The riding was held by the NDP from 2006 until 2021, erstwhile past MP Scott Duvall said helium would not question reelection. Former journalist Lisa Hepfner won for the Liberals.

Provincially, the spot was held by Taylor since 2011. She announced successful precocious 2024 she would not question reelection provincially, to tally federally. In February, the Conservatives won the Hamilton Mountain provincial spot for the archetypal clip successful 30 years.

Taylor and Hepfner are the lone candidates from large parties announced truthful acold for Hamilton Mountain.

"For [Singh], it's an accidental to enactment up an existing spot and presumably marque a play for a spot that the NDP had held until recently," said Graefe.

Singh was besides successful Hamilton connected Wednesday. First astatine Sackville Hill Seniors Recreation Centre wherever helium spoke astir his program to rise the basal idiosyncratic amount, the threshold nether which Canadians bash not wage tax, from $16,129 up to $19,500 and to destruct the GST connected essentials specified arsenic energy, net and mobile telephone bills.

He past made a halt astatine section pizza edifice Cowabunga connected James Street North.

Hamilton a bully backdrop for concern workers

For Poilievre, Graefe said helium mightiness privation to scope for the Hamilton East-Stoney Creek (HESC) seat.

Speaking to the assemblage connected Monday night, helium talked about his program to chopped taxes connected things similar location gathering and energy, "that volition incentivise our economy to beryllium beardown again."

The existent incumbent successful HESC is Liberal Chad Collins, portion the lone different campaigner announced truthful acold is Conservative Ned Kuruc.

"He mightiness besides marque a play connected Hamilton Mountain wherever the Conservatives conscionable elected a subordinate successful the past provincial election," said Graefe.

Another reason, Graefe said, that leaders mightiness privation to sojourn a metropolis is for a backdrop "for immoderate the taxable of the time is."

"Mr. Poilievre seems truly drawn to backdrops that are related to concern workers and concern enactment successful an effort to represent himself arsenic immoderate benignant of champion of the moving class," said Graefe.

"Hamilton is often utilized that mode by leaders of antithetic parties."

WATCH | Liberal person Mark Carney speaks to workers at ArcelorMittal Dofasco successful Hamilton

Another illustration of this, Graefe said, was Liberal Leader Mark Carney's sojourn to Hamilton steelmaker ArcelorMittal Dofasco on March 12, where helium spoke with workers determination astir the tariffs connected Canadian steel.

"In Hamilton, going retired to ballot is going to matter. I deliberation if these enactment leaders are coming here, it's due to the fact that they consciousness that these ridings tin spell antithetic ways," said Graefe.

"It volition beryllium absorbing to see what the parties are reasoning about, wherever they mightiness beryllium competitory based connected the leaders who travel in."