It was Oct.14, with only five days to go before the election. In last-minute attempts to secure votes, the federal leaders were visiting ridings with the closest races.
Tom Mulcair, leader of the NDP, stopped in Dartmouth at a town hall-style rally hosted by Robert Chisholm, MP and candidate for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour. It was his second trip to the HRM this campaign, first appearing in Halifax in September.
Mulcair arrived at Alderney Landing amidst cheers and waving orange “Stop Harper” signs, shaking hands as he went before coming to the centre of the room.
Megan Leslie, MP and candidate for Halifax, Peter Stoffer, MP of Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook and NDP candidate Joanne Hussey of Halifax West also joined Chisholm and Mulcair.
Mulcair addressed a crowd of over 200 supporters, highlighting the NDP platform and praising the NDP candidates in the room for their work on environmental issues, veterans, and fishing in Atlantic Canada.
Mulcair spoke of promises to “make prescription drugs more affordable to all Canadians,” to create childcare programs costing no more than $15/day, and to protect seniors by lowering the retirement age and increasing funding for Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors.
He also pledged opposition to the Conservative Trans-Pacific Partnership, which he called “a secret deal” that would raise the costs of prescription drugs across Canada.
Mulcair promised to stop the politics of “fear and division” and replace them with those of “hope and optimism.”
He summarized, “Senior-care, childcare, pharmacare, Mulcair.” At the end of his speech he quoted Jack Layton, saying, “Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done!”
Afterwards, Mulcair answered pre-approved questions from the audience then from the press in French and English.
He spoke about the NDP’s promise to decriminalize marijuana “overnight” and reiterated his view that the NDP is the only party that could “offer real change for Canadians” when asked about the tight race between his party and Liberal candidates.
It is a tight race between Liberal and NDP candidates across the country, and in the ridings of Halifax and Dartmouth-Cole Harbour especially. On Oct. 19, residents will decide how this will end.
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