Gerry Nicholls

Gerry Nicholls is a director for the Society for Quality Education. His biography on the SQE website is as follows:

Gerry Nicholls is one of Canada’s most prominent defenders of our economic and political freedoms. For more than twenty years he was a senior officer at the National Citizens Coalition, Canada’s largest independent pro-free market advocacy group. While at the NCC Gerry directed the group’s political strategy and oversaw its communication campaigns. Gerry now works as a freelance writer and as an independent political consultant. His columns on political affairs have appeared national newspapers including the National Post, The Globe and Mail, and the Sun Media chain. Currently Mr. Nicholls is a Senior Fellow with the Democracy Institute.

Publications

Books

• Gerry Nicholls, Loyal to the Core: Stephen Harper, Me and the Ncc, published by Freedom Press Canada, 1 March 2009.

Articles, Opinion & Comment

2014

• Gerry Nicholls, 'How to embrace a problem: Conservatives can use bad polls to fundraise', The Hill Times, 30 July 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper’s stance on Israel is good politics: Gerry Nicholls', The Hill Times, 28 July 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Activist Centrism: Canada’s new ideology', The Hill times, 21 July 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'A fundraising experiment the NDP should avoid', The Hill Times, 14 July 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper’s not your typical federal leader', The Hill Times, 7 July 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'How to win an election in two easy steps', The Hill Times, 30 June 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Gerry Nicholls on his hazy, lazy, political predictions', The Hill Times, 23 June 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Forced dues blues, unions risk triggering public backlash against political activities: Nicholls', The Hill Times, 16 June 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Why I can’t write a Harper ‘tell all’ book', The Hill Times, 9 June 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Political grudge match: ideologues vs. professionals', The Hill Times, 2 June 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Trudeau’s drive for ideological purity', The Hill Times, 26 May 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper’s a political warrior, and that’s okay', The Hill Times, 19 May 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Trudeau and Wynne, two Liberals boldly going in different directions', The Hill Times, 12 May 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Why Harper doesn’t care if the media like him', The Hill Times, 5 May 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'The irrational politics of tribalism', The Hill Times, 28 April 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'The ideology of public broadcasting', The Hill Times, 21 April 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Trudeau’s middle-class conundrum', The Hill Times, 14 April 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'How to deal with a scandal', The Hill Times, 7 April 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'The secret to Harper’s success', The Hill Times, 31 March 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Emotion drives Quebec election debate', The Hill Times, 24 March 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Fair Elections Act probably contains flaws, but not anti-democratic evil', The Hill Times, 17 March 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper still stands on firm ground', The Hill Times, 10 March 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Trudeau’s strategic box has escape hatches', The Hill Times, 3 March 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Manning Centre has wrong focus', The Hill Times, 24 February 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Convention resolutions tell us what makes Liberals tick: national strategies', The Hill Times, 17 March 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Senate reform leaves voters cold', The Hill Times, 10 February 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Budget day important, despite Olympics', The Hill Times, 3 February 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Donor fear keeps Tory dollars flowing', The Hill Times, 27 January 2014.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Gerry Nicholls: what the party leaders must do in 2014', The Hill Times, 13 January 2014.

2013

• Gerry Nicholls, 'Reviewing the year in politics (sort of)', The Hill Times, 16 December 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, ‘Teddy Bear’ Trudeau shows his fangs, The Hill Times, 9 December 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Don’t count Harper out yet', The Hill Times, 2 December 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Ford a train wreck aboard Titanic about to be hit by Hindenburg', The Hill Times, 25 November 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Trudeau resisting urge to be mean', The Hill Times, 18 November 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Stephen Harper: Conservative Caesar', The Hill Times, 11 November 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'How to survive a political scandal', The Hill Times, 4 November 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper and the media: natural enemies', The Hill Times, 28 October 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'PM Harper speaking three political languages', The Hill Times, 21 October 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Can Trudeau turn back the clock?', The Hill Times, 14 October 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'What if Throne Speeches weren’t dull? That’s a good one', The Hill Times, 7 October 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'New book explains how politicians shop for votes', The Hill Times, 30 September 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'PQ strategy just might work', The Hill Times, 23 September 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'NDP must wage war on Trudeau', The Hill Times, 16 September 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Canada’s political deck riddled with wild cards', The Hill Times, 9 September 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper fears Trudeau but he won’t cower before 2015, he’ll fight', The Hill Times, 2 September 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Attack the message, not the messenger', The Hill Times, 26 August 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Political poverty not what it’s cracked up to be', The Hill Times, 19 August 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'When it comes to the CBC, Harper and base on different channels', The Hill Times, 12 August 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Trudeau needs to fine-tune his character', The Hill Times, 6 August 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Long-term view needed to judge Conservative ads', The Hill Times, 29 July 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Conservatives seek to make change a nasty word: Nicholls', The Hill Times, 22 July 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Politicical fundraisers face difficult task', The Hill Times, 15 July 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Good ideas engage people, not political scorecards', The Hill Times, 8 July 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Let’s remember the good federal political apples too', The Hill Times, 1 July 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Hey Conservatives, I told you so!', The Hill Times, 24 June 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Don’t expect much from Reformania', 17 June 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper doesn’t like surprises, Senate expenses scandal throws him for a loop', The Hill Times, 10 June 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Why scandals don’t always stick', The Hill Times, 3 June 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Scandal or no scandal, Tory base will stay True Blue', The Hill Times, 27 May 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Tax bureaucrats vs. free speech', The Hill Times, 20 May 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'In politics nice is okay, but tough is better', The Hill Times, 13 May 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Forcing Canadians to finance propaganda wrong', The Hill Times, 6 May 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Poll that says negative ad a failure tells us little', The Hill Times, 29 April 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Is Justin really an angel?', The Hill Times, 22 April 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Farewell to political heroes', The Hill Times, 15 April 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Rumours of Tory revolt greatly exaggerated', The Hill Times, 8 April 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Defining Harperism', The Hill Times, 1 April 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Mulcair plots under the radar', The Hill Times, 25 March 2015.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'To beat Trudeau, laughter is best strategy', The Hill Times, 18 March 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Onward online soldiers', The Hill Times, 11 March 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Liberal debates are dull, but good for democracy', The Hill Times, 4 March 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'How the Harper Conservatives changed the political game: Nicholls', The Hill Times, 25 February 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Politicians should steer clear from trendy movements
', The Hill Times, 18 February 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Why Liberal money loves Trudeau', The Hill Times, 11 February 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Intelligentsia disappointed with democracy', The Hill Times, 4 February 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Hate to bring it up, but Canada has a serious deficit', The Hill Times, 28 January 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper a skilled practitioner of political jiu-jitsu', The Hill Times, 21 January 2013.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Trudeau campaign highlights failure of campaign finance laws', The Hill Times, 14 January 2014.

2012

• Gerry Nicholls, 'Here’s a thought: Santa Claus should run for Liberal leadership', The Hill Times, 17 December 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Trudeau isn’t living up to media’s carefully-crafted ‘Trudeaumania’ narrative', The Hill Times, 10 December 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Taking a politician to court a risky move', The Hill Times, 3 December 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Nicholls: Bland policy porridge won’t help Mulcair', The Hill Times, 26 November 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Tories crazy like a wily fox on carbon tax', The Hill Times, 19 November 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Obama’s victory is good news for Harper', The Hill Times, 12 November 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Remembering Reform: 25 years ago a fascinating political movement sprang to life on the Prairies', The Hill Times, 5 November 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Remembering the MP pension pigs
campaign', The Hill Times, 29 October 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'When billboards are bad for democracy', 22 October 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'What happens if charisma collides with anti-charisma?', The Hill Times, 15 October 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Tories beware: your base is grumbling', The Hill Times, 8 October 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Why doesn’t NDP support a carbon tax?', The Hill Times, 1 October 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Tory Party spending is not the problem; real problem is NDP, Liberal fundraising', The Hill Times, 24 September 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Money talks … about Grit leadership race', 17 September 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Despite differences, Harper and Marois will be Best Buds', 10 September 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Politicians causing voter apathy', The Hill Times, 3 September 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Parti Québécois campaign tribal politics in almost purest form', The Hill Times, 27 August 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Romney’s business success a double-edged sword for U.S. presidential run', The Hill Times, 17 August 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'PQ’s Marois learns political lesson the hard way', The Hill Times, 13 August 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Stop predictions: lots of eternities until next election', The Hill Times, 6 August 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper’s dilemma: red scare or red sale', The Hill Times, 30 july 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Green Party needs a new name', The Hill Times, 23 July 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Canadian political parties want to appear macho', The Hill Times, 16 July 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'In politics, subtlety doesn’t work', The Hill Times, 9 July 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Don’t blame Harper if separatists win in Quebec', The Hill Times, 2 July 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Believe it or not, politics is getting smarter', The Hill Times, 25 June 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Germans are mad at us, but who cares?', The Hill Times, 18 June 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Prime Minister Harper must keep his tribes united now', The Hill Times, 11 June 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Conservatives’ legal ploy against Council of Canadians wrong-headed', The Hill Times, 4 June 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Ontario byelection would provide a good show', The Hill Times, 28 May 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Current campaign finance laws bad for democracy', The Hill Times, 21 May 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'It’s too early to write Tory obituary', The Hill Times, 14 May 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Conservative image for competence gets tarnished', The Hill Times, 7 May 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'When it comes to Quebec, Ignatieff is right', The Hill Times, 30 April 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper and the Charter: setting the record straight', The Hill Times, 23 April 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Get ready for generic politics, divisive ideological differences are out', The Hill Times, 16 April 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'CBC a useful prop for the Conservatives, just watch them', The Hall Times, 9 April 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'If you don’t like negative ads, look away!', The Hill Times, 2 April 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Busting the top five Harper myths, someone has to', The Hill Times, 26 March 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Budget will be more about politics than economics', The Hill Times, 19 March 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Time to reform MP pensions', The Hill Times, 12 March 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'It’s a tale of two nations: political junkie land and regular Canadian land', The Hill Times, 5 March 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Conservatives’ communications strategy needs work', The Hill Times, 27 February 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Why stereotypes make good weapons', The Hill Times, 20 February 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Negative ads not so bad, sometimes the positive approach just doesn’t cut it', The Hill Times, 13 February 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'It’s dangerous to keep money out of politics', The Hill Times, 6 February 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'NCC attack doing Rae a big favour', The Hill Times, 30 January 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'The Harper riddle: a mysterious, riddle-wrapped, enigma, eh?', The Hill Times, 23 January 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'The NDP’s dilemma: in politics dullness kills', The Hill Times, 16 Janaury 2012.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'I’m answering tomorrow’s questions, today', The Hill Times, 9 January 2012.

2011

• Gerry Nicholls, 'Santa Claus is coming to town, he’s not a happy camper', The Hill Times, 12 December 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Climate change summit takes place in make-believe land', The Hill Times, 5 December 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'PM Harper’s a big meanie who’s making his critics cry, so what', The Hill Times, 28 November 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, a tear for Canada’s politically homeless: economic conservatives', The Hill Times, 21 November 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Rae’s strategy better than his tactics', The Hill Times, 14 November 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Tory government is our Wizard of Oz', The Hill Times, 7 November 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'PM Harper appeases his counter-revolutionaries', The Hill Times, 31 October 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Mulcair makes political lemonade, plays anti-establishment card', The Hill Times, 24 October 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Canadians place voting preferences on values, not ideology', The Hill Times, 17 October 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Lean days ahead for federal Liberals', The Hill Times, 10 October 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'MacKay’s Air Force needs to be grounded, make sure other Cabinet ministers don’t make similar mistakes', The Hill Times, 3 October 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper’s inner conservative dying to get out', The Hill Times, 26 September 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper playing new Quebec tune', The Hill Times, 19 September 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Let’s call it the NDP’s applause line problem', The Hill Times, 12 September 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'In political math, two plus two doesn't always equal four', The Hill Times, 5 September 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Elections Canada sees light on black out law', The Hill Times, 29 August 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'It's August, who cares about politics, let alone polls?', The Hill Times, 22 August 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'The Tory fundraising juggernaut could soon come to a screeching halt', The Hill Times, 15 August 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Turmel's gaffe could turn out to be a huge PR disaster for party on verge of mainstream political success', The Hill Times, 8 August 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'In politics vagueness works, determines success or failure', The Hill Times, 1 August 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Here's why Senate reform isn't going to happen...', The Hill Times, 25 July 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Here's the problem with YouTube in politics', The Hill Times, 18 July 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Sadly, voters tuning out of politics', The Hill Times, 11 July 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper takes principled stand on Israel', The Hill Times, 4 July 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Layton not playing his part in Harper's Grand Plan', The Hill Times, 27 June 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Get ready for a boring summer', The Hill Times, 20 June 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'In Politics it's Us versus Them, especially when it comes to fundraising', The Hill Times, 13 June 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Tories emulate Dirty Harry to win votes', The Hill Times, 6 June 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Don't expect civility in new Parliament', The Hill Times, 30 May 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper government's early theme is arrogance', The Hill Times, 23 May 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Libs should hope PM remembers his conservative principles when he kills per-vote subsidies to parties', The Hill Times, 16 May 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'The decline and fall of the Liberal Empire', The Hill Times, 9 May 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'How negative ads helped Layton', The Hill Times, 2 May 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'What this election really lacks is sweaters', The Hill Times, 25 April 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Liberals go negative: good strategy or act of desperation?', The Hill Times, 18 April 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Message strategy of political ads very often reflects internal polling data', The Hill Times, 11 April 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Political attack advertising, campaign spending next hot issues', The Hill Times, 4 April 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Cynical reality check, a campaign against government ethics won't work folks', The Hill Times, 14 March 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Union bosses bashing democracy in Ontario', Canada Free Press, 14 March 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Reformers must take back their party from the Hugh Segals of the world', The Hill Times, 7 March 2011.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Tory majority in the cards, 2011 to mark true beginning of Harper dynasty', The Hill Times, 7 February 2011.
• Gerry Nichols, 'Dissecting Tory and Liberal attack ads', The Hill Times, 31 January 2011.

2010

• Gerry Nicholls, 'Taylor moves to National Citizens Coalition, a smooth move', The Hill Times, 13 December 2010.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Liberals need a theory, running an issue campaign can be risky', The Hill Times, 25 October 2010.

2009

• Gerry Nicholls, 'Tories targeting wrong enemy with attack ads', The Hill Times, 9 March 2009.

2008

• Gerry Nicholls, 'Harper suffering from a bad case of amnesia', The Interim, March 2008.
• Gerry Nicholls, 'Flanagan's secret plan', The Hill Times, 31 March 2008.

2004

• Gerry Nicholls, 'NCC set to battle gag law in Supreme Court', The Hill Times, 19 January 2004.

2003

• Gerry Nicholls, 'Democratic freedoms on trial', The Hill Times, 23 June 2003.

Affiliations

As at February 2010:

• Democracy Institute
• National Citizens Coalition
• Society for Quality Education

Resources

• Making Sense with Nicholls (Personal blog)