Ontario leaders sa国际传媒� old and current sa国际传媒� were pinned in the crossfire of Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheersa国际传媒檚 battle Monday for the vote-rich province thatsa国际传媒檚 the gateway to federal victory.
Their fight focused in large part on whether a Liberal or a Conservative government would be best suited to work with the provinces to protect Canadasa国际传媒檚 public health-care system. Over in Atlantic Canada, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Leader Elizabeth May also jockeyed over their partysa国际传媒檚 health-care policies.
Scheer and Trudeau, were trying to plunder a bountiful crop of votes in the densely populated communities around Toronto and the rest of the Golden Horseshoe around the west end of Lake Ontario.
Trudeau fired the first shot, telling Ontario voters not to sa国际传媒渄ouble downsa国际传媒� on Conservatives after they elected Doug Ford premier in 2018. Trudeau used a new promise of a national pharmacare program to portray Scheer as a faithful Ford follower who wonsa国际传媒檛 defend peoplesa国际传媒檚 interests in fighting for better access to doctors, drugs or mental-health counsellors.
Scheer, meanwhile, evoked the vanquished Ontario Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne, and her predecessor Dalton McGuinty, linking Wynnesa国际传媒檚 political demise to a federal leader he branded corrupt and incapable of telling the truth. Scheer promised to make it cheaper for Canadians to buy homes, pledging to resurrect 30-year mortgages and ease the so-called stress test on mortgages, while accusing Trudeau of digging Canadians deeper into debt.
sa国际传媒淭he question becomes for Canadians: Who do you want negotiating with Doug Ford when it comes to your health?sa国际传媒� Trudeau said.
In the suburban Toronto community of Vaughan, Ont., Scheer deflected questions about his affiliation with Ford by lampooning Trudeausa国际传媒檚 focus on other Conservative leaders.
sa国际传媒淭he real question is: Whatsa国际传媒檚 the difference between Kathleen Wynne and Justin Trudeau? The very same people who are the architects of the failed Kathleen Wynne-Dalton McGuinty government that raised taxes, ran massive deficits, mired in scandal and corruption, are now working for Justin Trudeau, and theysa国际传媒檙e following the same playbook,sa国际传媒� said Scheer.
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sa国际传媒淪o voters in Ontario know that they can limit the damage from Justin Trudeau to one term.sa国际传媒�
In Halifax, Singh criticized both his frontrunning opponents, saying only a New Democrat government could help deliver the health care Canadians need.
sa国际传媒淛ustin Trudeau attacked Harper so viciously but he actually implemented his cuts to health care. And Mr. Scheer is going to keep it going,sa国际传媒� Singh said, sparking applause at a town-hall meeting.
The upbeat response allowed Singh to pivot from his uncomfortable debut in neighbouring New Brunswick earlier in the day where he was forced to address criticism that he has forgotten that province by never visiting, amid a summer controversy that saw some NDP candidates switch to the Greens.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 really sorry,sa国际传媒� Singh said in Bathurst, N.B. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 sorry I didnsa国际传媒檛 get here earlier. Isa国际传媒檓 happy to be here. Isa国际传媒檓 honoured to be here and itsa国际传媒檚 a beautiful place.sa国际传媒�
In Fredericton, May outlined her partysa国际传媒檚 plan to break down barriers to mental health care, including reducing wait times and putting more money into services in rural and remote areas. sa国际传媒淯niversal health care is under attack,sa国际传媒� she declared.
The Canadian Press
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