Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 07, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page a6 a 6 Winnipeg repress. Com election 2008 Winnipeg free press tuesday october 7, 2008 conservative my inky Mark skipped another All candidates debate in Dauphin monday night but makes no apologies for avoiding showdowns with his rivals. My Riding is so Large id be on the Road constantly if i went to All of them said Mark who prefers to meet voters of Dauphin Swan River at the door and in Coffee shops. In my first election i went to one in the theatre in Neepawa and there were maybe 10 people there mostly Campaign workers. It was useless. It opened my eyes. Unlike Rookie tories who Are being prodded by party brass to Dodge debates for fear go off message Mark is a Maverick who does not take much direction from Headquarters. Its a different Story in Brandon Souris where tory my Merv Tweed is running for re election. Tweed has tried to attend most of the forums hers been invited to including three coming up this week in Brandon. And hers toed the party line on issues like crime and the Canadian wheat Board. The two Ridings which together cover Western Manitoba to the Northern tip of Lake Winnipegosis Are fresh off one of the Best harvests in recent memory. But Farmers Are worried about spotty Rural health care and the Economy say candidates. Early in the race Gas prices topped voters Gripe lists. Now its Wall Street and what the financial collapse South of the Border Means to retirement savings. Everyone is really nervous about the Economy agreed m. J. Willard a physician running for the liberals against Tweed in Brandon Souris. Weave got savings that look like they might evaporate on us. The Canadian wheat Board comes up often too and the tory candidates in the two Westman Ridings hold very different positions on whether the Agency yes monopoly on Grain sales ought to be dismantled. Tweed sides with the prime minister and says Farmers ought to have marketing Choice. But Mark has gone rogue on the Issue. He says two thirds of his Riding supports the wheat Board and he is duty bound to reflect their views in Ottawa even if it Means voting against his party and earning a Tongue lashing from the leadership. I dont mind and i dont care said Mark. Both Mark and Tweed Are widely expected to win re election in a week and neither Riding is being targeted by the liberals or nip. Mark won virtually every poll in 2006, except a Small handful on first nations reserves that went Liberal. Tweed who left provincial politics for Ottawa in 2004, represents a Riding that has been tory for at least 60 years except for 1993 when the Liberal party swept the country. Critics have said both incumbents Are largely invisible outside their Ridings unlike other Rural maps who have gained a Little More profile inside the perimeter and in Ottawa. Ism like the people of Brandon retorted Tweed. They work hard they re quiet and they get the Job done. I might not blow my own Horn but people Here know what Ive done for the Riding. Maryagnes. Welch free press. My. Ca o Ottawa nip Leader Jack Layton says anyone who does not think his party can be trusted with the reins of the Economy need Only look at Manitoba Premier Gary doers economic performance for reassurance. Weave got the record of the Manitoba new democrats As the cautious stewards of the Public purse Layton told the free press in an interview monday. We Are very much in sync with those. Layton played the doer card in a bid to woo disaffected Liberal and progressive conservative voters to his team As he continues his push towards what could be the Best Ever finish for the nip in a Federal election. There have been backroom rumblings for years that doers nip Are More in line with the Federal liberals than with Federal new democrats but Layton has always dismissed those suggestions. He said his party is not out of sync with doer on corporate tax cuts even though the doer government has Cut the corporate tax rate by four Points since 2000 and plans another one Point Cut to 12 per cent next year. Lay tones main election pledge has been to cancel planned cuts to the Federal corporate tax rate saying corporations dont need the extra Money and it should instead be used to invest in social programs Green Job initiatives and other help for the Kitchen table. Layton claims doer has told him he does not believe now is the right time for Canada to Cut its corporate tax rate because it is already lower than it is in other competing countries. Ive spoken to the Premier about this said Layton. Ism sure head say the same thing if you asked him. A spokesman for the Premier said monday doer has not said anything of the sort and said the Premier Isnit commenting on Federal election platforms. Regardless Layton Isnit varying from his carefully scripted message with just one week left in the Campaign which positions the nip As the Only legitimate alternative to the Harper government and the Only party that will fight for the Kitchen table not the boardroom table. Layton also says despite previous Media reports to the contrary he is not interested in talking about a coalition government with the liberals. Those stories were incorrect said Layton. Ism running for prime minister said Layton. He said if he wins that office he will work with All the other parties elected to make government work. Talk of forming a coalition with the liberals could Hurt the a Dps push to be considered As the Only alternative to the tories. In other elections nip support has gone to the liberals As voters cast their ballots strategically. Right now the nip is within spitting distance of the liberals. As Well most polls have nip support hitting at least 20 per cent a Benchmark considered the tipping Point by some pollsters for the nip to Start winning a lot More seats. The nip has never formed the official opposition in Ottawa. Its Best showing was under de Broadbent in 1988 when the party won 43 seats based largely on dominating in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Normally it wins a higher share of the popular vote than it does actual seats. Case in Point 2006, when it won 17.5 per cent of the votes Overall but just nine per cent of the seats. In 2004, it had 15.7 per cent of the popular vote and just six per cent of the seats. Darrell Bricker president of Itsos Reid said the big question for election night will be where the tipping Point will be for Layton. A seat projection released by Ekos research associates monday suggests at it current support Levels the nip would win 42 seats one shy of its 1988 record. That would still leave the nip in fourth place behind the conservatives at 130 seats the liberals with 78, and the bloc Qutb Cois with 58. Layton said he wont change his course of attack Over the final week and will continue to Hammer away at Harper for his what me worry approach to the Economy and Liberal Leader Stephane Dion for his Carbon tax. While Dion is working to hold on to seats Layton has the advantage of being on the offensive and will spend the final week targeting seats he thinks his party can pick up. He is expected in Manitoba one More time wednesday. Mia. Rabson free press. My. Ca Layton plays doer card cites premieres economic performance in bid to woo voters by Mia Rabson candidates conservative Merv Tweed incumbent Liberal Martha to Willard physician and veterinarian nip John Bouchy locomotive Engineer and conductor for car Green Dave Barnes environmental educator Christian heritage Jerome Dondo financial consultant for first nations communist Lisa Gallagher Mother and social activist 2006 results conservative Merv Tweed 20,247 54.4% nip Bob Senff 7,528 20.2% Liberal Murray Downing 6,696 18% Green Brad Bird 1,707 4.6% Independent Mike Volek 611 1.6% Christian heritage party Colin Atkins 290 0.8% communist Lisa Gallagher 120 0.3% oddity you can steal Liberal candidate m. J. Willards signs after election Day and use them As shopping bags. Instead of signs Sheds mounting bags sporting her name and party logo on two Tomato stakes and Sheds encouraging people to reuse the bags after the Campaign. She says she stole the idea from fellow grit John Loewen who is running in Winnipeg South. Brandon Souris Battleground Dauphin Swan River Marquette Battleground candidates conservative inky Mark incumbent Liberal Wendy Menzies educator Neepawa town councillor nip Ron Strynadka retired Inco employee Green Kate Storey organic Farmer Christian heritage David Andres businessman Peoples political Power party Charles Prefontaine 2006 results conservative inky Mark 20,084 59.1% nip Walter Kolisnyk 6,221 18.3% Liberal Don Dewar 6,171 18.2% Green Kathy Storey 1,246 3.7% Christian heritage party Iris Yawney 273 0.8% oddity one of Only two Ridings in the country with a Peoples political Power candidate. The party a new one pledges to Stop sunday shopping restore respect for motherhood eliminate the income tax and Aid the poor by promoting moral values and criminalizing the failures of social service organisations. Conservative candidates comfortable in Westman the daily voter Riding Churchill voting undecided i a vent decided who ism going to vote for yet. Whats going to happen with jobs and the Banks a Pauline Macdonald Smith no deficit facing growing concerns Over the Economy conservative Leader Stephen Harper softened his stance monday on the need to balance the budget saying there is no immediate reason for Canada to go into deficit. Theress nothing on the horizon notwithstanding the storm Clouds and they Are significant that indicates to me that we should immediately go into deficit Harper said in an interview with the business news network when asked to comment on the notion of using deficit spending to stimulate the Economy. On the Campaign Trail Harper has repeatedly touted his cautious economic plan and criticized the taxation and spending proposals of the opposition parties arguing their plans would tip the country into deficit. Despite opening the door to possible deficits Down the Road Harper made it Clear he Hopes to keep the budget in the Black. I know economists will say we could run a Small deficit but the problem is that once you Cross that line As we see in the United states nothing stops deficits from getting larger and larger and spiralling out of control. And we want to avoid the kind of government household and Trade deficits weave seen in the United states said Harper. Election aids Job creation the liberals Are having some fun with a conservative news release touting their economic record and a projected september gain of 12,000 jobs. Unfortunately the conservatives failed to read the entire article from which they quote the Liberal Campaign Headquarters says. If they had they would have read the Canadian Economy will grow by about 15,000 jobs in september mostly due to hiring related to the oct. 14 Federal election. The liberals say harpers Job creation strategy was to Call an election. Statistics Canada is to release its september unemployment data on Friday. Leaders have their say ill Tell you the problem with Stephen harpers do nothing attitude pull one thread and the whole sweater unravels. Its the working families of Canada who will be left out in the cold. Thatus Why the time has come to throw Stephen Harper out. Nip Leader Jack Layton on the pms response to economic uncertainty ill work until i drop to make sure that your Homes your pensions your mortgages and your jobs Are protected As Best As we Are Able from this unfolding financial crisis. Its so important that in Tough times you have a government that will stand with you not against you. Nip Leader Jack Layton lets be Clear the prime minister of Canada Isnit going to go around the country predicting a recession when were not in a recession now. Look were not an Island. We cant pretend and were not pretending that we will escape effects of world developments. Prime minister Stephen Harper on global economic uncertainty dont you think its time we had a prime minister who a snot a Scrooge to working families and their kids while being Santa Claus to the Banks and the Oil companies nip Leader Jack Layton canadians want to have a prime minister who has the conviction about the role of the government to help the people to face the Tough times in which we Are. Or. Harper showed that he didst. Liberal Leader Stephane Dion on harpers hands off approach to the economic storm election Roundup n a Cerns leade e r Nathan Denette / the Canadian press nip Leader Jack Layton Speaks to supporters during a Campaign Stop monday in Burnaby b. C. A _ 06_ oct 07 08. Ind a6 1 0/ 6/ 08 8 56 24 pm ;