The golden rule of political communication is simple: talk like people talk. This imperative demands relatability, which is why politicians and their staff ground their messages back to constituents and the everyday realities of life. Rather than talk in terms of figures so far removed from household budgets, the details are often distilled into themes of generation support, against a backdrop of announcements delivered from the grocery aisle or the factory floor.
Recently, however, there has been a fundamental shift in the way politicians speak about the issues impacting Canadians. Facing threats of U.S. protectionism, and the reality of a President who shares market-moving social media posts by the hour, decision makers here at home have been forced to pivot away from discussion of local issues to larger macro-economic policies and the existential threat of trade wars and job losses.
While the initial mandate of “standing up to Trump” was rewarded at both the Ontario provincial and federal levels of government, trade volatility is now a known entity. This is showing up in public opinion polling, as Canadians revert their attention back to concerns around the cost-of-living and community challenges like crime and public safety. This presents a problem for political leaders, who are now tasked with a dual mandate of demonstrating tangible impact that Canadians feel in their own lives, while mitigating negative fallout from the Canada-U.S. relationship.
While this is a tall task, Premier Doug Ford appears to have already made this calculation and has been implementing it into his public communications over the last several weeks. Between promoting Ontario ice cream and dumping out Crown Royal whiskey at press conferences, he has also successfully seized on a highly relatable local irritant: municipal speed cameras.
By proposing legislation to ban the cameras and saying loudly for all to hear that they are a “cash grab” for municipalities, Ford is demonstrating that his government can cut through bureaucratic red tape and municipal bureaucracies to make tangible, everyday changes for commuters. Whether the decision is right or wrong, he is championing an issue that resonates directly with the public, while also sparking a conversation with his opponents at the municipal level to vocalize their opinion on what is believed to be a highly unpopular consumer issue.
Ford has never been shy about stepping into the grey area of jurisdictional responsibilities, and he is once again proving that he’s the guy to call when you have a grievance long ignored by everyone else. Love him or hate him, he’s tilting the scales back to the arena he is most comfortable playing in, and we should expect to see other politicians follow suit. Whether they are as successful in the polls remains to be seen.
In an era dominated by big personalities and global decisions on trade and security, this localized focus proves the critical importance of bringing politics back to the lives of constituents, and to a domain where decisions and their consequences are readily understood by those tasked with casting a ballot.
Josie Sabatino is a Senior Consultant at Summa Strategies, focused on providing strategic insight and helping clients meet their objectives in an ever changing and complex political and regulatory environment. Prior to joining Summa, Josie spent nearly a decade in political communications and most recently served as the Director of Communications to the Hon. Erin O’Toole, former Leader of the Official Opposition.
