Allan Gregg
Encyclopedia
Allan Gregg is a Canadian
pollster
, political advisor, and pundit.
and Carleton University in Ottawa. He briefly served as a professor while working on his PhD
, but abandoned his studies due to the birth of his first child in 1975.
pollster Richard Wirthlin and learned much from him. He then returned to Canada in the late 1970s. He first came to national attention as the national campaign secretary of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
successful effort in the 1979 federal election
.
Soon after that campaign, Gregg founded Decima Research
, a joint polling/public relations firm. The company became the Conservative party's polling firm, and Gregg played an important role in the 1984 election
when the PC Party was led by Brian Mulroney
. With the Conservative victory, Decima Research and Gregg entered the halls of power, and he was frequently at Prime Minister
Mulroney's side. Decima and Gregg worked for the federal Tories, operated in many provincial elections, and expanded worldwide, participating in over forty-five elections on three continents.
Gregg was an unusual-looking figure in Canadian politics, and especially in the Tory party. He adopted a unique style including gold earrings, bright red shoes, long hair, and a great deal of leather clothing. He founded a record label, The Song Corp., and was co-manager of the Tragically Hip. He also served a five year stint as president of the Toronto International Film Festival
.
He rose to greater prominence in the 1988 election
where he handled communications and polling for the PC Party. Long an advocate for negative campaigning
, he directed the famed "bridge bombing" attack on Liberal leader John Turner that was designed to break the bridge linking anti-free trade
voters to Turner. The offensive was a success, Turner's popularity dropped, and the Tories were re-elected. He also played an important role in the 1992 Canadian referendum where he crafted the message that the doom of Canada would be the certain result of a "No" vote.
campaign. He was senior pollster as well as top strategist and communications manager.
The 1993 Conservative Federal campaign was an unmitigated disaster for all concerned, including Gregg. Other campaign leaders complained that his many duties meant he missed too many meetings. Gregg again pushed for negative tactics, crafting an attack ad one of which Canadians found especially distasteful and offensive. The ad ridiculed a facial deformity of Liberal leader Jean Chrétien which was a result of a childhood polio infection. This ad backfired and the Conservatives were reduced to two seats in the Canadian House of Commons
from their previous 151 seats. This was the result of a number of factors, including the intense unpopularity of former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. His party suffered the worst defeat ever in Canadian history for an incumbent federal party.
While the Tory campaign was not going well, the television ad (which aired on only one evening) was a memorable element. Modern Canadian national political campaign coverage has had few noteworthy campaign moments, but much like the 1984 Mulroney Turner debate ("You had an option"), this advertising mistake was memorable. Attacking a physical defect was widely seen by Canadians as a low blow and as an American-style no-holds-barred campaign style that should not be imported. Several years later Gregg wrote about this in the pages of Saturday Night magazine
, where his mea culpa rang hollow, as he continued to argue that "the ad tested well in the focus groups."
After a year off, he founded a new company, The Strategic Counsel
, a market research and consulting firm, but one geared towards business rather than politics. He returned to the public eye as a columnist in Maclean's Magazine and a frequent pundit on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
news for several years.
Gregg also has a weekly television show, Allan Gregg in Conversation with...
on the public broadcaster TVOntario
. It has a half-hour, in-depth interview format, in which the subject of the interview is usually an author discussing a current release. The books discussed are usually of a political or medical nature.
In 2001, he strongly denounced negative campaigning
in a lecture at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University
, saying that it would destroy politics as we know it and "invite totally unaccountable forces" to "influence society without the countervailing force of representative democracy".
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
pollster
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
, political advisor, and pundit.
Early life
Gregg was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He was the eldest child in his family which consisted of four boys and one girl. Gregg graduated from Harry Ainley High School at the second top of his class with honors. Gregg then went on to study political science at the University of AlbertaUniversity of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
and Carleton University in Ottawa. He briefly served as a professor while working on his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, but abandoned his studies due to the birth of his first child in 1975.
Tory strategist
Gregg has long been involved in Canadian politics, but decided to travel south of the border to work with master Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
pollster Richard Wirthlin and learned much from him. He then returned to Canada in the late 1970s. He first came to national attention as the national campaign secretary of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
successful effort in the 1979 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
.
Soon after that campaign, Gregg founded Decima Research
Decima Research
Decima Research is a public opinion and market research company in Canada, founded in 1979 by Progressive Conservative Party of Canada strategist Allan Gregg....
, a joint polling/public relations firm. The company became the Conservative party's polling firm, and Gregg played an important role in the 1984 election
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
when the PC Party was led by Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. With the Conservative victory, Decima Research and Gregg entered the halls of power, and he was frequently at Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Mulroney's side. Decima and Gregg worked for the federal Tories, operated in many provincial elections, and expanded worldwide, participating in over forty-five elections on three continents.
Gregg was an unusual-looking figure in Canadian politics, and especially in the Tory party. He adopted a unique style including gold earrings, bright red shoes, long hair, and a great deal of leather clothing. He founded a record label, The Song Corp., and was co-manager of the Tragically Hip. He also served a five year stint as president of the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
.
He rose to greater prominence in the 1988 election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
where he handled communications and polling for the PC Party. Long an advocate for negative campaigning
Negative campaigning
Negative campaigning, also known more colloquially as "mudslinging", is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies...
, he directed the famed "bridge bombing" attack on Liberal leader John Turner that was designed to break the bridge linking anti-free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
voters to Turner. The offensive was a success, Turner's popularity dropped, and the Tories were re-elected. He also played an important role in the 1992 Canadian referendum where he crafted the message that the doom of Canada would be the certain result of a "No" vote.
1993 election
Gregg was given even more responsibility in the 1993 federal electionCanadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
campaign. He was senior pollster as well as top strategist and communications manager.
The 1993 Conservative Federal campaign was an unmitigated disaster for all concerned, including Gregg. Other campaign leaders complained that his many duties meant he missed too many meetings. Gregg again pushed for negative tactics, crafting an attack ad one of which Canadians found especially distasteful and offensive. The ad ridiculed a facial deformity of Liberal leader Jean Chrétien which was a result of a childhood polio infection. This ad backfired and the Conservatives were reduced to two seats in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from their previous 151 seats. This was the result of a number of factors, including the intense unpopularity of former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. His party suffered the worst defeat ever in Canadian history for an incumbent federal party.
While the Tory campaign was not going well, the television ad (which aired on only one evening) was a memorable element. Modern Canadian national political campaign coverage has had few noteworthy campaign moments, but much like the 1984 Mulroney Turner debate ("You had an option"), this advertising mistake was memorable. Attacking a physical defect was widely seen by Canadians as a low blow and as an American-style no-holds-barred campaign style that should not be imported. Several years later Gregg wrote about this in the pages of Saturday Night magazine
Saturday Night (magazine)
Saturday Night was a Canadian general interest magazine. It was founded in Toronto, Ontario in 1887.The publication was first established as a weekly broadsheet newspaper about public affairs and the arts, which was later expanded into a general interest magazine. The editor, Edmund E. Sheppard,...
, where his mea culpa rang hollow, as he continued to argue that "the ad tested well in the focus groups."
Pollster
After the campaign, Gregg left public life for a time. He quit Decima, and sold his share of the company for millions of dollars. He cut his hair, and turned to a more reserved form of dress.After a year off, he founded a new company, The Strategic Counsel
The Strategic Counsel
The Strategic Counsel is a Canadian company established in 1995 that provides several market research services, such as conducting opinion polls. Their polls are often cited by the media in Canada, and are currently used for all political polling by CTV and The Globe and Mail...
, a market research and consulting firm, but one geared towards business rather than politics. He returned to the public eye as a columnist in Maclean's Magazine and a frequent pundit on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
news for several years.
Gregg also has a weekly television show, Allan Gregg in Conversation with...
Allan Gregg in Conversation with...
Allan Gregg in Conversation with... is a Canadian television series on TVOntario, hosted by Allan Gregg who interviews various authors, artists and leading thinkers.-External links:*...
on the public broadcaster TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
. It has a half-hour, in-depth interview format, in which the subject of the interview is usually an author discussing a current release. The books discussed are usually of a political or medical nature.
In 2001, he strongly denounced negative campaigning
Negative campaigning
Negative campaigning, also known more colloquially as "mudslinging", is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies...
in a lecture at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
, saying that it would destroy politics as we know it and "invite totally unaccountable forces" to "influence society without the countervailing force of representative democracy".
Personal life
Gregg has three children; Christian (b. 1975), Allanah (b. 1986), and Connor (b. 1988).Further reading
- "Changing horses in mid-stream: Before last fall's trouncing at the polls, Allan Gregg was the Tory party's whiz kid. Today, the 42-year-old is looking for new challenges." Ian Austen, Southam News. Aug 14, 1994. pg. B.2
- "Allan Gregg's record label to partner with musicians: Takes an 'artist friendly' approach to payments, benefits" Brenda Bouw. National Post. Mar 3, 2000. pg. C.1.
- "Campbell loyalists sore at bid to blame her for sad campaign" Rosemary Speirs. The Vancouver Sun. Oct 30, 1993. pg. A.12