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VIDEO: Most federal party leaders hit B.C. for last day of divisive campaign

Canadians head to the polls Oct. 21

The contenders in Mondaysa国际传媒檚 federal election spent the last day of the campaign calling for voters to unite behind their parties amid accusations of dirty politicking and outright lying.

From when Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau fired the starting gun on the campaign on Sept. 11, voters have heard a mix of policy promises and warnings about dire consequences from each party leader if he or she doesnsa国际传媒檛 come out on top.

The close of what many leaders said was a divisive campaign played out Sunday in one final, frantic barrage of sales pitches in and around Vancouver, where a host of seats are up for grabs.

Trudeau called on voters to swing behind the Liberals, warning of cuts to services if the Conservatives take power.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer warned of federal spending that leads to crippling national debt if the Liberals win a minority and are propped up by the New Democrats.

Jagmeet Singh called on voters to give his NDP a chance, while Green Leader Elizabeth May made a promise of electoral reform alongside a vow to mandate honesty from parties during future campaigns.

sa国际传媒淚 didnsa国际传媒檛 think that this election would be so marred by dishonesty,sa国际传媒 May said during a morning event.

sa国际传媒淣ow all the media is covering this now, that this was a dirty election and that people lied sa国际传媒 the Conservatives lied about the Liberals, the Liberals lied about the Conservatives, the NDP continue to lie about the Greens. Itsa国际传媒檚 one of the hardest things Isa国际传媒檝e ever had to endure.sa国际传媒

Polls heading into Mondaysa国际传媒檚 vote suggest a deeply divided electorate after a campaign marked by revelations that Trudeau repeatedly wore blackface more than a decade ago; Scheersa国际传媒檚 dual citizenship with the United States and iffy credentials as an insurance broker; and questions about the federal role in a legal challenge to Quebecsa国际传媒檚 secularism law, known as Bill 21, that is popular in the province but highly controversial.

While four leaders were on the West Coast, Scheer and Trudeau appealed, too, to vote-rich Quebec in the hopes of staunching any bleeding of support to the Bloc Quebecois, whose surge in recent polls has been one of the key surprises of the campaign.

On Saturday night, party leader Yves-Francois Blanchet rallied supporters by talking about the environment, but also talking about his partysa国际传媒檚 revival with a reference to sovereignty as a possibility one day.

Trudeau warned Blanchetsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淣o. 1 priority is separationsa国际传媒 sa国际传媒 not fighting climate change or sa国际传媒渆ven to stop Conservative cutssa国际传媒 sa国际传媒 and returning the countries to debates thought dormant, as part of a message to Quebec voters to support the Liberals.

Not long after, Scheer said Blanchetsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒減riority is to work towards another referendum,sa国际传媒 in making the case for Quebecers to vote Conservative.

Blanchet, in Quebec, said separation is not a priority for his party now, nor is a referendum on the matter imminent, and said Trudeau was sa国际传媒減urposefully lyingsa国际传媒 to Quebecers sa国际传媒 comments he made before Scheer spoke in Vancouversa国际传媒檚 Stanley Park.

sa国际传媒淲e thought that Mr. Trudeau was offering a clean campaign. This is over now. Now he is lying,sa国际传媒 Blanchet told reporters.

sa国际传媒淚f he listened to what I said yesterday, he obviously noticed that I said even if I do personally believe sa国际传媒 and thatsa国际传媒檚 a surprise for nobody sa国际传媒 that one day, at a time of their choice and in a manner of their own choosing, Quebecers might consider again giving themselves a country, in the meantime, I understand that this is not our mandate.sa国际传媒

May was also heavily critical of what she called sa国际传媒渄irty smearssa国际传媒 from other parties, and the New Democrats in particular, after a heated war of words with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh over abortion.

She said she believed she had a good relationship with Singh sa国际传媒 May decided not to run a Green candidate in a byelection that gave the NDP leader a seat in the House of Commons earlier this year sa国际传媒 but that now appears to be in tatters.

Singh, before mainstreeting in Vancouver and Surrey, B.C., said he had no regrets about the campaign.

Any divisions in the country are a result of economic insecurity, exacerbated by the policies of successive Conservative and Liberal governments, Singh said. The NDP leader suggested his partysa国际传媒檚 platform commitments would bridge any divides when asked about specific actions he would take to bring the country together if he becomes prime minister.

sa国际传媒淎ll these worries and fears create division, or worries and fears allow others to come in and to divide us based on things that are not the reason for the problems,sa国际传媒 he said.

sa国际传媒淚 believe we can build a unified country if people see justice in their lives, if they see affordability in their lives, if they see child care and a health-care system and housing that is affordable that is there for them.sa国际传媒

Meanwhile, Peoplesa国际传媒檚 Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier wrapped up his campaign in his Quebec riding of Beauce, defending his own seat.

He is scheduled to vote mid-morning in his riding sa国际传媒 just as millions of Canadians will do Monday.

Jordan Press, The Canadian Press


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