'Sellout Singh': Conservatives take aim at NDP in new attack ad ahead of byelections

The federal Conservatives are shifting their focus from the governing Liberals to take aim at the NDP in a new attack ad, ahead of two potentially significant byelections slated for September.

The new ad — set to release Tuesday afternoon — labels NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh as "sellout Singh," and sees him featured in a fake magazine spread, titled "luxury pensioner monthly," using real headlines over the course of his leadership.

"Jagmeet Singh is used to getting what he wants," begins the 30-second ad, narrated by a woman with a dramatic string score playing in the background. "He went to a high-priced American private school in Beverly Hills, Rolex watches, BMWs, Versace bags, but now he's got a problem."

Singh attended high school in Beverly Hills, Mich., not Beverly Hills, Calif.

"He needs to delay the election until next year, when he qualifies for his $2-million pension," the ad continues, "so he sold you out, signed on with (Prime Minister Justin) Trudeau, to raise taxes, crime and housing costs."

"Sellout Singh," it concludes. "He gets his pension, you pay the price."

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After the Liberals' stunning byelection loss to the Conservatives in Toronto—St. Paul's in June — in a riding long considered a stronghold for the party — pollsters and political watchers say it's clear there are no safe seats.

Meanwhile, two other upcoming byelections — in the ridings of Elmwood-Transcona in Winnipeg and LaSalle—Émard—Verdun in Montreal — have also drawn the leaders' attention, with both Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Singh campaigning for their respective candidates this week.

Poilievre held a rally in Winnipeg on Sunday, while Singh was in Montreal on Monday.

Both byelections are set for Sept. 16.

The NDP, notably, released its own attack ad last month, the party's largest pre-election ad buy since 2015.

That 30-second ad features Singh setting up what the party is calling the "change the rules tour," and it's directed at both the Conservatives and the Liberals.

Kathleen Monk, a former NDP strategist and director of communications to the late Jack Layton, in an interview with CTV News pointed to the importance of those upcoming byelections, and said voters need to "follow the money in election campaigns."

She said it's significant that the Conservatives are zeroed in on the NDP now, after years of focus on the Liberals, who have consistently been languishing in the polls.

"It's a very strong ad, and it's the first time we're really seeing the Conservatives put significant amounts of money behind an ad that's targeting New Democrats," Monk said. "And if you're asking yourself why that is, it's because they see New Democrats (as) the real threat in the next election."

She also called the new Conservative ad a "dishonest" and "personal attack."

Monk added she doesn't think the ad is "going to fly with Canadians," considering Singh's record of pushing for dental care and pharmacare through the NDP's confidence-and-supply-deal with the Liberals.

"I do think (the NDP is) going to have to come up with (its) own attack ad," Monk also said.

Kory Teneycke, who was Ontario Premier Doug Ford's campaign manager and former director of communications for then-prime minister Stephen Harper, agreed, saying the Conservatives' messaging over the last year has been "very smart" in how it's framed both Poilievre and Trudeau before the Liberals had a chance to.

Teneycke called the Conservatives' ad "devastating" and "quite effective," in an interview with CTV News, and that the "punishing line of attack" can be "hard to counter."

"If you look at some of the people who are leaving the NDP to join the Conservative parties, either provincial or federal, it's often around those kinds of issues," Teneycke said. "Traditional supporters who are maybe a little more blue collar in terms of their work or, you know, private sector union folks, they're not really the Rolex and Gucci shoe crowd."

He added the NDP under Singh has "really lost the script when it comes to speaking to those voters," and it's smart for the Conservatives to capitalize on the disconnect and frame the NDP leader as out of touch with his party's base.

In an email statement to CTV News, Ann McGrath, Singh's principal secretary, said Poilievre's parliamentary actions contradict his claims of championing the working class.

"For 20 years, Poilievre has had a six-figure taxpayer-funded salary, pension and dental care - yet voted against federal minimum wage, to cut CPP pensions and raise the retirement age, and voted to take away dental care from children and seniors," she said.

"The truth is, in their 20s, Pierre Poilievre was building up his multi-million dollar MP pension," McGrath also wrote, "Jagmeet was working for minimum wage to support himself and his teenage brother."

The Conservatives are set to release a second attack ad on Wednesday.

With files from CTV News' Judy Trinh