Ontario leaders 鈥� old and current 鈥� were pinned in the crossfire of Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer鈥檚 battle Monday for the vote-rich province that鈥檚 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 Canada鈥檚 public health-care system. Over in Atlantic Canada, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Leader Elizabeth May also jockeyed over their party鈥檚 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 鈥渄ouble down鈥� 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 won鈥檛 defend people鈥檚 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 Wynne鈥檚 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.
鈥淭he question becomes for Canadians: Who do you want negotiating with Doug Ford when it comes to your health?鈥� Trudeau said.
In the suburban Toronto community of Vaughan, Ont., Scheer deflected questions about his affiliation with Ford by lampooning Trudeau鈥檚 focus on other Conservative leaders.
鈥淭he real question is: What鈥檚 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 they鈥檙e following the same playbook,鈥� said Scheer.
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鈥淪o voters in Ontario know that they can limit the damage from Justin Trudeau to one term.鈥�
In Halifax, Singh criticized both his frontrunning opponents, saying only a New Democrat government could help deliver the health care Canadians need.
鈥淛ustin Trudeau attacked Harper so viciously but he actually implemented his cuts to health care. And Mr. Scheer is going to keep it going,鈥� 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 really sorry,鈥� Singh said in Bathurst, N.B. 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry I didn鈥檛 get here earlier. I鈥檓 happy to be here. I鈥檓 honoured to be here and it鈥檚 a beautiful place.鈥�
In Fredericton, May outlined her party鈥檚 plan to break down barriers to mental health care, including reducing wait times and putting more money into services in rural and remote areas. 鈥淯niversal health care is under attack,鈥� she declared.
The Canadian Press
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