Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 18, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba A4 Winnipeg free press Friday june 18, 2004 dead heat continued from Page a1 the liberals were also buoyed yesterday with their own internal polls and released data on party standings for the first time. According to the Survey of 1,250 people conducted by opinion search of Ottawa the liberals have moved ahead of the conservatives since this weeks debates ? 33 per cent to 31 per cent. Prior to the debates the liberals say their polls showed the conservatives were ahead by a 34-29 margin. No margin of error was released. Compas found that Harper was the Winner of tuesdays English language debate while nip Leader Jack Layton was the loser. Speaking before a conference of med ical workers at a Community College Martin jumped on reports that Klein was planning major changes to Albertas health care system which the Premier conceded will Likely violate the Canada health act. Noting that Harper said during the television debates that it was not Ottawa a business How the provinces manage health care Martin said it is no coincidence that Klein has chosen june 30 to unveil his overhaul this May be Why Premier Klein wants to wait until after the election Martin said. He is hoping he will have a silent partner in All of that by the name of Stephen Harper someone who will not speak up for the Canada health act someone propped up by the separatist bloc sub Cois someone who does to Martin said it is the Job of the coun try a prime minister to stand up for health care which he called the no. 1 priority of canadians. Unlike Stephen Harper i do care. And unlike Stephen Harper i will look Ralph Klein in the Eye and i will say unlike Stephen Harper i will defend Klein a proposed changes Are a Poten tial political gift to Martin who is largely running on health care and is Harper won debate but voters not rewarding him polls by Bill Curry o Ottawa ? the conservative Campaign has lost some of its steam even though canadians believe party Leader Stephen Harper was the Winner of tuesdays English language debate a new poll shows. According to a compas poll of 600 people the liberals hold a slight 35-34 Lead Over the conservatives with the nip at 17 per cent. Desperate to convince voters that elect ing Harper As prime minister would usher in a Radical new government not in step with Canadian values. With his Liberal stronghold of Ontario suddenly under siege from the conservatives Martin has been working Over time to paint himself As the Only one Able to defend medicare and to Point out fundamental differences Between himself and Harper. It is a Liberal government which Cre ated medicare and it is a Liberal government which will sustain medicare he said. However Harper hotly rejected mar tins claim that he has a secret Agenda on health. It is fear mongering Harper said while campaigning in North Bay ont. It is simply trying to wrap an anti Alberta anti Western rhetoric in the Flag of health care. Those Guys did it last time. They Are trying to do it again. It does to help Unity. It does to help health although that puts the two leading Par ties in a statistical dead heat it came As Good news to the liberals who trailed the tories 34-30 in an Ekos poll published last Friday. The compas poll found 30 per cent of respondents believe Harper won the English debate. Liberal Leader Martin was named the Winner by 21 per cent of respondents nip Leader Jack Layton by 12 per cent and bloc quebecois Leader Gilles Dueppe by one per cent. The poll also found health care Harper has tried to neutralize the key health care Issue with a party policy that not Only pours billions of dollars into medicare but also supports the five principles of the Canada health act which were part of the 2002 funding agreement Between Ottawa and the provinces. Klein also scoffed at Martins charge. They must be dreaming or having nightmares because i Haven to had any discussions whatsoever none at All with Stephen Harper and the conservatives or the liberals for that matter he told ctr news. Harpers response led Martin to fur ther torque his Campaign rhetoric Labelling the conservative leaders com ments As ridiculous and absolutely insulting to for Stephen Harper to feed it West Ern alienation gratuitously Over some thing that has nothing to do with Western Canada per be and has everything to do with the Canada health act. Is an Indi cation of what kind of prime minister Stephen Harper might Well be when a remains the most important election Issue with the sponsorship scandal Well ahead of tax cuts abortion and Gay marriage. One in five polled said sponsorship most affected their feelings about the leaders double the response to a Simi Lar question in a May 19 compas poll. Only five per cent chose Gay marriage and seven per cent said abortion was the top Issue. The liberals have a narrow Lead in the key Battleground of Ontario where the National Issue arises in which his responsibility is to Deal with it As the prime minister of the country. What he tries to do is sow regional divisions and i just think that is the compas poll found that in the key Battleground of Ontario the grits Are Back in front with 38 per cent sup port compared to 36 per cent for the conservatives. The nip Are at 23 per cent. Compas surveyed voters on june 16, the Day after the English televised debate. The Survey is considered accurate within four percentage Points 19 times out of 20. Armed with the party a internal polling figures Martin shot Back at harpers claim from wednesday that his tories Are on their Way to a majority govern ment win. Or. Harpers message is either out of desperation or arrogance Martin said. ? with files from can West news service grits Are at 38 per cent the conserva Tives 36 per cent and the nip 23 per cent although the margin of error in provincial samples is higher. The Liber als Trail the bloc quebecois by 10 Points in Quebec 36 to 46 per cent. The poll was conducted for can West news service on june 16, the Day after the English debate and is accurate with in four percentage Points 19 times out of 20. Of the 600 people surveyed 73 per cent either saw at least five minutes of the debate or were exposed to news reports of the debate. When canadians were asked who would make the Best prime minister 45 per cent said Martin compared to 32 for Harper and nine for Layton. Nip spokesman Brad Lavigne said his party a internal polling showed a Spike for the nip since the debate. ? can West news service with files from Anne Dawson mosquitoes continued from Page a1 hot weather speeds up their develop ment resulting in smaller bugs Scarpino explained. The larger insects Don to take a bigger bite or draw More blood but they Are More aggressive she said. Scarpino said weather conditions Arent favourable for fogging and there a no indication it will be better next week. City policy states that a decision to fog will be considered after 25 female mosquitoes ? the ones that bite ? Are caught in City traps three nights in a Row she said. The count yesterday was 34 and there were 25 on wednesday but Only 18 the previous Day she said. However Cool nights and High winds Are keeping the numbers artificially Low she said. We know its bad out there Scarpino said. We live Here to begin fogging operations the City requires Low winds no rain and temperatures of at least 15 c at night she said. Mosquitoes tend to hug the ground in Cool weather weakening the Impact of fogging. The City also needs to be reasonably sure the right conditions will exist for five to seven Days ? the time it takes to fog the entire City ? before it will begin operations Scarpino said. Meteorologist Dale Marci ski said it will be warmer on the weekend but cooler temperatures and occasional show ers will return next week. After months of bundling up during the Winter Winni Eggers have Little patience when it comes to mosquitoes ruining their outdoor summertime pursuits. Janet Breau who runs a Small Day care out of her St. Vital Home said the bugs Are so bad she does to let her kids into the backyard to play. They did to even ask to go out today Breau said adding she was disappointed and frustrated to learn the City in to plan Ning to fog immediately. At St. Boniface Golf course the mosquitoes have run players off the course said Daniel Michalchuk an assistant in the pro shop. People Are coming in Early Michalchuk said. Some return after just nine holes while others Don to even get started preferring to practise around the clubhouse. Its quite horrendous he said. Hardware stores Are doing a brisk business in anti Mosquito equipment such As fogging equipment the Mosquito Magnet Bug zappers and aerosol sprays. Craig player assistant manager of the Home depot in Transcona said the mos Quito Magnet has been flying off the shelf. We can to keep pm in the store player said. The Magnet emits a chemical that attracts mosquitoes into a trap. Meanwhile the province has tested 59 dead Birds for West Nile virus but the results were negative. Fran Schellenberg coordinator of the provinces West Nile program said mos Quito traps Are being set up across the province As part of a comprehensive surveillance program. ;