Dr. Tamara Small

Dr. Tamara Small, a professor in Department of Political Science, has been interviewed by several news outlets in recent days about this week’s federal election.

Small appeared on a political panel on CBC Radio’s The Current to discuss the aftermath of the election and whether the federal parties will be able to cooperate in a minority government. Clips from that interview were also featured on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

Reuters News spoke to Small about the future of Justin Trudeau’s leadership given his failure to earn a majority in his third election — and whether this one might be his last.

The Canadian Press spoke to Small about the popularity of Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada and how it grew in this election. Small said while many underestimated Bernier’s popularity a year ago, his rhetoric during the pandemic appealed to many Conservatives and those who oppose COVID-19 vaccinations and lockdowns.

CTVNews.ca also spoke to Small about the surge in the PPC’s popularity.

Ahead of Monday’s election, Small spoke again to The Canadian Press Small about whether candidates’ social media presence during this campaign would translate into votes at the polls. Small expressed skepticism, noting social media popularity appears to have little impact on changing people’s partisanship.

In an interview with the Toronto Star, Small discussed what makes for an effective election lawn sign. She commented on the advantages of a candidate adding a photo of oneself to a sign and noted that many decisions on what to put on signs are carefully made based on polling.

Small gave her assessment of which ridings in the KW region are worth a watch in an interview with CBC Kitchener-Waterloo, and noted the most interesting races will be those where there’s no incumbent seeking re-election.

Small researches many aspects of Canadian politics, including the influence of image, political parties’ use of the internet and social media for campaigning, and the regulatory framework for digital technologies in Canadian elections.

She also engaged in several media interviews in the early days of the election campaign, including with CBC News Network and The Canadian Press.