NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh invoked the legacy of his venerated predecessor Wednesday, hoping the memory of Jack Layton B次元官网网址� the principal architect of the NDPB次元官网网址檚 best-ever showing in a federal election B次元官网网址� would separate him from a pack of rivals wooing voters in Quebec as the clock ticks down to voting day.
Every federal leader save Elizabeth May began Wednesday in Quebec, including three in and around the Montreal area. It was a rare campaign confluence where major party leaders were in the same area at the same time, and a clear sign of where strategists are focusing their efforts with less than a week to go.
An upswing in Bloc support in the province could scuttle Liberal and Conservative hopes of winning enough seats to form a majority, and deeper electoral problems for New Democrats.
So SinghB次元官网网址檚 pilgrimage to Hudson, Que., where Layton was raised, was seen as a bid to appeal to the hearts of Quebec voters.
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Singh said he wants to build on LaytonB次元官网网址檚 legacy in the province, acknowledge the work the late leader did B次元官网网址� some of it better than SinghB次元官网网址檚 own, he admitted B次元官网网址� and capture some of that 2011 magic for the New Democratic Party.
B次元官网网址淭he support that weB次元官网网址檙e receiving on the ground is going to translate to support at the polls and IB次元官网网址檓 confident that people will see that we will fight for them,B次元官网网址� Singh said at a morning event standing alongside LaytonB次元官网网址檚 widow, Olivia Chow.
B次元官网网址淲e care about them, we share the values of Quebecers and weB次元官网网址檙e going to make sure that they can count on us to fight for them in the next Parliament, no matter what the Parliament looks like.B次元官网网址�
TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 agenda Wednesday included numerous stops with local candidates on a zigzag tour from Montreal to Sherbrooke, hoping his personal brand would shore up the LiberalsB次元官网网址� standing in his home province.
He also received a Twitter endorsement from former U.S. president Barack Obama, whose account tweeted out that TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址減rogressive leadershipB次元官网网址� was needed in the world, B次元官网网址渁nd I hope our neighbours to the north support him for another term.B次元官网网址�
The tweet echoed TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 comments during a morning event at MontrealB次元官网网址檚 botanical gardens where, backed by numerous Quebec Liberals, he urged Quebecers to support his party so they can have a voice in a progressive government. He also tried to frame the choice for Quebec voters contemplating supporting the Bloc.
B次元官网网址淭he focus of the Bloc is to stand up for Quebec against the federal government,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淵et with our priorities, every step of the way, weB次元官网网址檝e demonstrated that we as a team of Quebecers are always there to stand up for Quebec values and indeed Canadian values.B次元官网网址�
Scheer stopped by a Tim Hortons in one of MontrealB次元官网网址檚 northern suburbs with one of his star candidates, former Olympic champion synchronized-swimmer Sylvie Frechette, after spending Tuesday barnstorming the province.
After the appearance with Frechette, he moved on to southwestern Ontario, another vital battleground, sounding a note of confidence for his chances on election night.
B次元官网网址淥ne of the most common phrases our candidates report hearing at the doors, is a voter who answers the door and says, B次元官网网址橧 voted Liberal in 2015, IB次元官网网址檓 voting Conservative in 2019,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Scheer said in Essex, Ont., after announcing a promise to legislate stiff penalties for MPs caught in violation of ethics rules.
Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said the other parties want to B次元官网网址減retend we donB次元官网网址檛 exist,B次元官网网址� but must B次元官网网址渃hange their minds and see the realityB次元官网网址� that they could have to gain the BlocB次元官网网址檚 backing if, as polls suggest, none capture a majority of seats on election night.
He also took aim at Conservative, Liberal and NDP warnings to Quebec voters about voting Bloc on Monday.
B次元官网网址淲e have not played that game. We did not want to run a negative campaign, a campaign based on anger. Quebecers will be the judges of that kind of strategy,B次元官网网址� Blanchet said in French.
BlanchetB次元官网网址檚 party has captured the imagination of Quebecers and B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 a bit late in the game to change that,B次元官网网址� said Karl Belanger, a former NDP strategist.
Now, the Bloc could win the majority of seats in the province, while the NDP entered this election eyeing the possibility of being wiped off the map in Quebec.
The fond memory of Layton, who died shortly after the 2011 victory, could be enough to save one, two or a few more incumbent New Democrats trying to eke out wins in tight three- or four-way races, Belanger said.
B次元官网网址淭he play is try to preserve as much of the beach head as you possibly can, and for Singh to try to build on the emotional connection that was established between Layton and Quebec voters back in 2011 is not a bad way to do it,B次元官网网址� said Belanger, who served as one of LaytonB次元官网网址檚 top aides.
B次元官网网址淭he reality is that the NDP has been trending up across the country, including Quebec, although not as much as the Bloc Quebecois.B次元官网网址�
May, the Green party leader, focused on her partyB次元官网网址檚 pledge to create a national pharmacare program in Victoria, near her home riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands in B.C., while PeopleB次元官网网址檚 Party Leader Maxime Bernier is spending the day focused on keeping his own Quebec seat in Beauce.
Jordan Press, The Canadian Press
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