2011 Federal Election
 

This year there is likely a federal election.

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...e-federal-ring

The most interesting thing about that article when I read it, was the fact that she's now an Ancaster resident. I'm not sure about the boundaries, but if she's not living within the Mountain riding, I would assume that would be a pretty big stick for Charlton to beat her with.

Ignatieff conjures up era of Munro, Copps in political vision for Hamilton

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...n-for-hamilton

Marie Bountrogianni is being tasked to rebuild the Liberal party brand in Hamilton.

Federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff compared her to Liberal stalwarts John Munro and Sheila Copps in formally announcing her candidacy for Hamilton Mountain Monday

About 200 people attended the announcement at the Carpenter’s Union Hall on Stone Church Road East. This included Michelle Stockwell, the party’s only nominated candidate for Hamilton. She is carrying the Liberal banner in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.

“Hamilton has such a great Liberal tradition,” Ignatieff said in introducing Bountrogianni. “We’ve had John Munro and Sheila Copps. All were great leaders who have served Hamilton and we’ve got another about to step up.”

Bountrogianni told the gathering she was “humbled” by the comparison with Munro and Copps, but said she will be part of a team running for the Liberals in the next election.

Munro held the old riding of Hamilton East from 1962-1984. Copps held the riding between 1984 and 2004. Both served as Liberal cabinet ministers, with Copps serving a spell as deputy prime minister.

Hamilton Mountain has been held since the 2006 election by New Democrat Chris Charlton.

The Conservative candidate is former city councillor Terry Anderson.

Ignatieff is on an 11-day tour of the 20 “most winnable” ridings for the Liberals. The ridings are all held by the Conservatives, New Democrats or Bloc Quebecois.

Munro and Copps? Mentioned as historically positive for Hamilton? Personally I think they're synonymous with Hamilton's decline, but maybe that's just me.

Sooner than you think
 

Maybe we can get rid of the NDP do-nothin for Hamilton candidates. Like the last three times did anything for the Steel city.
We Need super strong representation to get Hamilton back on track. Having Taliban Jack as a leader is not an asset, NDP is just a weak social conscience, and I mean that in a good way. Just imaginenif they werenthe ruling party visions of Bob Rae and the man that built the border towns.:shrug::shrug::koko::frog::frog:

Edit this post.

Hamilton Mountain riding will be the most interesting race to watch in Hamilton, Chris Charlton vs. Marie Bountrogianni. Kinda excited.

Is Brad Clark jumping into the federal race?

It looks as though the Tories may have snagged themselves a star candidate to run in Hamilton East- Stoney Creek: Ward 9 councillor Brad Clark.

Some time Saturday, Clark’s personal web site, www.bradclark.ca, began pointing to the federal Conservative Hamilton East-Stoney Creek election website, instead of the website he used during his 2010 municipal campaign.

http://www.thespec.com/news/election...e-federal-race

Wayne Marston vs Brad Clark? Interesting.

Not liking that he's about to abandon ship when he was justed elected as councillor.

Better chance
 

Hope this is true. Rukivina was an unknown and did OK considering the two big names leading the race..
About time for a change. Maybe get some clout into the riding or a place at the table.
He was in cabinet and has experience, didn't hurt, Baird, Clement.
Could be real entertaining.
:tup::tup::tup:

I never thought I would say it, but Clark as MP might not be the worst thing. Would get a voice for Hamilton back into government. He's no idealogue, nor a moralist like David Sweet. This might also give Fiorentina another chance at ward 9 if she wants it, she was one of the closest to an upset in the election.

I wouldn't mind Clark as MP in Ottawa.

Elect Marie Bountrogianni and we'll have good voices from all three parties from Hamilton, Christopherson, Clark and Bountrogianni. All Federal cabinet worthy.

I am very disappointed in Brad Clark on this one. I have always had difficulty with municipal councillors using a council seat as a holding position for higher office, but to seek election to a higher office barely 100 days after winning a council seat is disgraceful. Should he be successful in his challenge to Marsden, then the city will need to take on the expense of a byelection. Is Clark going to cover that expense?

It was no secret that this election was on the horizon. Clark should have sat out the November municipal election if he was intending to run in the federal election. And spare me the shallow platitude of promising to donate his Councillor's salary to charity during the campaign - if Clark is serious about running then he should resign his council seat now. A council seat should be treated better than as some consolation prize to fall back on if one's aspirations for higher office don't pan out.

CHCH-TV to Broadcast a Complete Leaders' Debate

TORONTO, March 30 /CNW/ - Today Channel Zero announced that it is offended by the Broadcaster Consortium's decision to exclude one of the leaders of Canada's five major federal political parties from their leaders' debate. As a result, Channel Zero is extending an invitation to the leaders of The Conservative Party of Canada, The Liberal Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party, The Bloc Quebecois, and the Green Party of Canada to participate in a nationally televised and fully representative Leaders' Debate.

"Clearly, this type of behaviour illustrates one of the real dangers of media ownership concentration that we have witnessed recently in Canada. Democracy demands that the media simply relay the parties' positions without attempting to control the message. Excluding the leader of a party that garnered 1 out of every 15 votes in the 2008 federal election is just plain wrong", said Cal Millar, President of Channel Zero.

As an independent broadcaster with no network, BDU, or consortium affiliation, Channel Zero believes that the participation of all of the above leaders is of critical interest and importance to Canadians as they head to the polls in just over four weeks.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/a.../30/c7846.html

hear, hear!

Tomorrow both Harper and Ignatieff will make a stop in Hamilton.

Harper at Convention Centre at 5:30, Ignatieff at Liuna Station for 7:00.

The Ignatieff Liberal function is open to all Canadians.

The Harper Conservative function requires preregistration and attendees will be screened by the Conservative Secret Police and entry may be denied if the Conservative politbureau suspects you may be associated with undesirable elements of society, like environmental awareness groups or student unions.

I know where I'd rather be...

We got one of those robo-calls from Michael Ignatieff yesterday inviting us to his town hall at LIUNA Station. I'm sure that means everyone in Hamilton did as I can't imagine I'm on a special liberal mailing list or anything. Didn't get one from Harper though! I kind of wish our NDP riding with David Christopherson was a bit more competitive, if nothing more then to make it more interesting come election day. Our liberal candidate dropped off a pamphlet and hand-wrote "Sorry I missed you" on it. The funny thing was that my wife was home at the time and didn't hear any knock or door bell. Not great door-to-door campaigning!

I got the call from Michael Ignatieff as well.

Harper pledges to double tax-free savings limits – but not till deficit is beat

Stephen Harper is promising to double the contribution room in Tax-Free Savings Accounts during his second straight day of campaigning in the Greater Toronto Area, a crucial battleground he hopes will help land him a majority government.

If re-elected, he said, a Conservative government would expand annual contribution limits for the savings vehicles to $10,000 from $5,000.

The catch is the Tories would only enact this measure after Ottawa conquers the deficit. The annual budget shortfall is projected to be $29.6-billion this fiscal year and it could be three or four years before the books are balanced.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1974378/

I like the tax free savings account and good news about $10,000 but it isn't enough for me to vote for Harper's government.

Every promise he's made has been "You get this! [after the budget is balanced in 2015 or 2016."

Now even if (when) he wins this election, we won't see any benefits for at least four or five years. What are the odds that:
a) The budget is balanced?
b) Anyone will remember?
c) Harper will still be PM?

You know what would make balancing the budget easier? If GST was still at 7%...

I didn't get Ignatieff's robo-call, but I did get a personal phone call from David Christopherson's office.

I have respect for Christopherson but the riding has not benefitted in any measurable way from his representation.

You can watch Ignatieff's townhall here
http://www.thespec.com/static/512941

Any highlights from either of the townhalls?

Ignatieff impressed me the most. He's approachable and intelligent, that was clearly demonstrated last night.

I'd love to see a Liberal minority with enough NDP seats to form a stable government.

Think the highlight from Harper was letting students inside and a Stelco worker protesting inside. With the media inside security was careful not to drag him out.

Reading about the Conservative budget, it says Quebec will be getting $2.2-billion for harmonizing their PST & GST. Did Ontario or BC get that much money?

CHCH-TV to Broadcast "Elizabeth May, For the Record" Live this Sunday, April 10, 2011 - 8pm ET

TORONTO, April 8 /CNW/ - Today Channel Zero announced its plans to broadcast a comprehensive panel interview with Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May, live on Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 8pm ET.

The big networks won't have her, but CHCH will. "Elizabeth May, For the Record" will give Ms. May the opportunity that the Broadcaster Consortium is denying her - the forum to present and defend the Green Party platform, and to be questioned and challenged by a group of well-respected journalists, in an open, nationally-televised broadcast. Panelists include Nick Dixon - CHCH News Anchor, Richard Brennan - National Affairs Reporter for the Toronto Star, Christina Blizzard - Political Columnist with the Toronto Sun, and Nicole Macintyre from the Hamilton Spectator.

CHCH is encouraging the public to submit questions for the panelists to [email protected].

"On March 30, we announced our profound disappointment with the Broadcaster Consortium's decision to exclude the Green Party from their leaders' debate. At that time we opened up an invitation to host and broadcast a Complete Leaders' Debate. That invitation still stands. However, as the first leaders' debate draws near, we feel that it is important that the views of all the national parties be included in the conversation, and accordingly we are giving the Green Party an opportunity to be heard and evaluated by Canadians," said Cal Millar, President of Channel Zero.

"Elizabeth May, For the Record" will be broadcast live and commercial-free from the CHCH studios in Hamilton, Ontario on Sunday, April 10th at 8pm ET, immediately following 60 Minutes. Channel Zero, in co-operation with CHEK Media, will air the program nationally on CHCH (Toronto/Hamilton), Métro14 (Montreal), and CHEK-TV (Vancouver/Victoria). CHCH, Métro14 and CHEK are available coast to coast on numerous satellite, cable and telco-tv providers. "Elizabeth May, For the Record" will also be available for online viewing following the broadcast at chch.com.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/a.../08/c2709.html

Braden says Tories cost Hamilton a car plant

http://www.thespec.com/news/election...on-a-car-plant

Liberal candidate Dave Braden is accusing the Conservatives of being inept for not supporting a plan to build a Think City electric-car plant in Hamilton and letting it slip away to Indiana.

Braden, at the first all-candidates meeting for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale Monday night, said he took the idea to his Conservative opponent, MP David Sweet, about 2007, but said he was told the minister responsible for such initiatives “was too busy to discuss the issue.”

He said he had many others on board, including a number of auto parts companies and the province, which was prepared to allocate $30 million. Braden initially got involved in the Think Car from Norway in 2004.

“Consequently, an opportunity for Canada to be a leader in this field and a catalyst for real change was lost,” he said. “For an individual to lose a business opportunity is one thing, but the consequences for our community are monumental. There is no doubt this enterprise would have been a major employer in this region.”

According to a New York Times article from 2010, production of the Think car is slated to begin this year in Elkhart, Indiana.

The accusation was just one of a number Braden hammered at the Conservative government during the evening, including being responsible for poor decorum in the House of Commons and wasting $30 billion of taxpayers’ money on fighter jets.

David Christopherson?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1981178/

Christopherson has just lost my vote.

Judging by the amount of signs in his riding in his favour vs. those of his opponents, I think he's still the leading candidate. Although I'm interested to see how this news plays with those with his name on their lawn.

Riding Profile: Hamilton Mountain

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/04...lton-mountain/

I'm one of those people with his sign on my lawn. Blocking citizen's access to an Auditor General's report is enough for me to (probably) change my vote.

The NDP is talking out both sides of their mouth here. Christopherson is defending his vote to not allow its release by saying he has too much respect for Parliament to railroad a change in the dying days of the 40th session, while at the same time his leader is demanding the parliamentary procedure be overlooked and the document be released by the Auditor General today. Can't have it both ways, so who is correct, Layton or Christopherson?

Green Party Out in Hamilton Centre? - http://www.thespec.com/news/election...amilton-centre

Hamilton and our future.
 

Well I have only been in town since 1994 and can not recall any connection between the historical NDP local representation and any true local benefits. All the current NDP reps are nice people and have done service on individual issues or visit the elderly and that is an important funstion as our elderly need genuine attention but what have they done for Hamilton. Not much.
When we had Sheila Copps and her high profile position Deputy PM we did get the Discovery Centre and the Haida.
So come vote time NDP are not very effective for the advancement of Hamilton concerns.
Seriously what has Christopherson ever done for the city of Hamilton. He never commits to anything and only goes on TV to slag or trash someone. I have a hard time him in the News for some monumental achievment.
Vote for the duds and you get what you deserve zeros for heros.
Sadly intil we get a majority goverment that can make a decision we will talk about crap until the next election or the one after that. Let life pass us by.
:cheers::cheers:

It doesn't really matter who represents us in Parliament we rarely get anything from them. We have had high profile cabinet ministers in the past and many members of the governing party's, it didn't do anything to slow the decline of this city. So we might as well vote for people who give us good service. Thats why lately Hamiltonians have been voting for New Democrats. Despite the perceptions we are not an NDP stronghold. Over the last 40 years we have had almost equal representation from all 3 party's. Hamilton East was a Liberal lock for over 40 years.

Hear your candidate

http://www.thespec.com/news/election...your-candidate

Cable 14 and The Hamilton Spectator are uniting again to present all-candidates debates for six of Hamilton’s ridings.

The one-hour debates will be taped at The Spectator auditorium and broadcast live over the course of three days this coming week. The debates will be rebroadcast on the cable channel until May 1, the day before the election.

The public are encouraged to email questions in advance to [email protected]. There will be no opportunity to pose live questions to the candidates. Local media have also been enlisted to provide questions.

Hamilton Centre candidates will be first on Tuesday April 19 at 7 p.m. They will be followed by the candidates for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek at 8:30 p.m.

On Wednesday April 20, candidates from Haldimand-Norfolk will be at 7 p.m., followed by candidates from Hamilton Mountain at 8:30 p.m.

April 21 will see candidates from Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale at 7 p.m., followed by candidates from Niagara-West Glanbrook at 8:30 p.m.

Other upcoming debates include:

Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale

A debate is being hosted Monday April 18 by the McMaster Students Union and the Ainslie Wood/Westdale Community, at the university. It is being held at CICB Hall (3rd floor of the student centre) and is set to start at 6 p.m. Running are Liberal candidate Dave Braden, Marxist-Leninist candidate Jamile Ghaddar, Libertarian candidate Anthony Giles, New Democratic Party candidate Nancy MacBain and incumbent Conservative MP David Sweet.

Niagara West-Glanbrook

A debate is set for Wednesday April 20 for candidates from Niagara West-Glanbrook. It will be held at the Great Lakes Christian High School, 4875 King St., Beamsville, and is to start at 7 p.m. It is being hosted by the chambers of commerce from Grimsby, Lincoln and West Lincoln. Running are incumbent Conservative MP Dean Allison, Liberal candidate Stephen Bieda, Green Party candidate Sid Frere, New Democratic Party candidate David Heatley and Christian Heritage Party candidate Bryan Jongbloed.

Haldimand-Norfolk

A debate is set for Tuesday April 26 at the Haldimand Agricultural Centre, 1084 Kohler Road, just south of Cayuga. It is being sponsored by the Haldimand Federation of Agriculture and starts at 7:30 p.m. Running are Christian Heritage Party candidate Steven Elgersma, Green Party candidate Anne Faulkner, incumbent Conservative MP Diane Finley, New Democrat Ian Nichols and Liberal Bob Speller.

•Compiled by Daniel Nolan

Cable 14 debates
 

First up was downtown and I thought Baldesaro was the best and it was pathetic in the closing comments for the NDP Christopherson almost begging to keep his job.
Second was East Hamilton/Stoney Creek and Marston was weak. The Action party guy was very aggressive and passionate. The Liberal lady was nice and polite but had very little.
The best line was Marston said he toured Eastgate and the Timmies every weekend and at the end Clark said if you elect me and in 4 yrs I hope I can say I did more than touring Eastgate on week ends.
During the post game review, they did stress what has the NDP done overall for any riding.
The fringe parties did slow it down and distract the focus.

Here's a site that may be of some interest.

threehundredeight.com

It has projections for seat totals regionally and nationally. It also has projections on local races. From the latest polling and projections for the Hamilton area seats, it looks like nothing will change. All incumbants are comfortably in the lead.

East Hamilton Stoney Creek Debate
 

Candidates direct heat at MP Wayne Marston

Daniel Nolan
April 20, 2011
New Democrat MP Wayne Marston was the focus of attacks in a Hamilton East-Stoney Creek all candidates debate, centering around the argument he doesn't speak up for the city and that he can't do much coming from the 4th party in the House of Commons.
The broadsides were lead by Conservative candidate and Ward 9 Councillor Brad Clark in the Cable 14 TV debate taped Tuesday night at The Spectator. Libertarian Party candidate Greg Pattinson, however, got in his licks and Liberal candidate Michelle Stockwell said Hamilton doesn't matter in Ottawa with Marston as the MP.
“The last time Hamilton mattered to a federal government, it was a Liberal government,” said Stockwell, citing Liberal support for the clean up of Randle Reef (which is supported by the two other major parties) and funding help to the former Stelco plant and the Ford plant in Oakville.
“Hamilton matters and it's time that it matters again.”
Marston, who has held Hamilton East-Stoney Creek since 2006 after defeating Liberal cabinet minister Tony Valeri, fired back at times, criticizing the Liberals for attacking the Conservatives and then supporting Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's previous budgets.
He attacked Prime Minister Stephen Harper by using a business analogy. He said many say government should be run like a business and, if that is the case, he said Harper would be the Chief Executive Officer and Parliament the board of directors. He said Canada has been a case of a CEO who won't tell his board of directors how he intends on spending the corporation's money and eventually found itself in contempt of Parliament by the speaker.
“That's repeatedly what Harper does,” said Marston.
“Parliament is your board of directors.
Eight of the nine candidates attended the debate, which will be re-broadcast on Cable 14 before the May 2 election.
Clark accused Marston of sending out an improper household flyer and not speaking up for residents who have had their basements hit by flooding because of deteriorating city infrastructure. The two sparred over the flyer.
“This is contempt of Parliament,” said Clark. “You broke the rules Wayne.”
Marston said it was a legal flyer and he accused Clark of placing a flyer in The Stoney Creek News wrongly accusing his party and the Liberals of voting for something they had not.
Clark said residents fear a rainstorm because of the flooding and that it was the one issue in the campaign that was not getting proper attention.
“It's a little disturbing that after these rainstorms we've never heard anything from the incumbent candidate Mr. Marston and he's not brought any of this information to Ottawa to fight for this infrastructure funding,” he said.
“That's not true,” Marston retorted.
Marston said he is proud of the work he and his staff have done and said he keeps in touch by visiting with residents in the local Tim Hortons and malls.
Clark said if he went to Ottawa he “would get things done” and would not return four years later “bragging to you that my success in the last four years was walking through Tim Hortons and Eastgate Square talking to you.”

Local STEEL considerations
 

Just a thought.
One element of the election platforms or national concerns is National Defence. Two major parties (Conservative and NDP) plan to remain on course with the National ship building 30 yr plan. Port Weller in St Catharines is in the running and if not successful could get spin off business. Refit for frigates. There will be two sites selected large ships and small ships and it looks like east and west coast.
This is a lost trade or skill and in some cases skilled tradesmen are using their transferable skill out west as there are no or few jobs in this industry.

Just as a point of interst, ships are made of steel and lots of it. This is a currently dormant industry.
Maybe we could use some local knowledgable candidates to lobby long and hard for the contracts to provide Canadian steel for Canadian ships. For the 30 year plan.
An interesting side note is that the Liberal Canidate for the riding associated with the Quebec bidder is suggesting that the CURRENT deadline be extended so the local entry can resolve it's fiscal difficulties and I think it may be bought up by a Italian firm?????
So this may be a question to ask your local Candidate if you have any vested interest in our local steel industry and the plight of Local 1005.
Go for "MADE IN CANADA" :shrug::shrug:
How will the proposed30 year national ship building strategy affect the local CANADIAN steel industry?

Sheila Copps to the rescue.
 

Sheila Copps to rally Liberal troops
Daniel Nolan
April 25, 2011



The Liberal party has drafted Sheila Copps to help the party’s fortunes in Hamilton.

The former longtime Hamilton East MP and deputy prime minister will be the guest speaker at a rally Wednesday morning at the Discovery Centre.

The move comes as various polls indicate the New Democratic Party is surging in support, almost tying the Liberal party. A weekend poll by the Nanos Research Group had the NDP at 23.7 per cent national support, compared with 26.1 per cent for the Liberals. The Conservatives remained in the lead with 37.8 per cent. The NDP control the city’s three urban seats.

Copps is attending the 11 a.m. rally to endorse Anne Tennier, who is running in Hamilton Centre. But fellow local candidates Dave Braden, Marie Bountrogianni and Michelle Stockwell will also be on hand. Tennier is trying to take Hamilton Centre from New Democrat MP David Christopherson, who won it in 2004 after defeating Liberal cabinet minister Stan Keyes.

Bountrogianni, a former Hamilton Mountain MPP and Ontario cabinet minister seen by many as Copps’s heir, called the visit “fantastic.” Copps was ousted from the party in 2004 after a bruising nomination battle with cabinet minister Tony Valeri and Bountrogianni believes the visit indicates “the wounds are healed and Sheila is coming to pay a political visit to Hamilton. That shows you how classy she is.”

Copps also staged a local rally for the Liberals in the dying days of the 2008 election. She was later courted by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff to run again, but she spurned all advances.

Bountrogianni said the NDP surge is largely as a result of the party’s numbers jumping in Quebec.

Bountrogianni is trying to win Hamilton Mountain from NDP incumbent Chris Charlton.

“It is hard to defeat incumbents,” she said. “I’m not, by any means, saying this is easy, but I don’t think Mr. Layton’s surge in Quebec will affect us here except to make people rethink who they want to vote for. ... Do we really want a socialist government getting us out of a recession? I don’t think people want a socialist prime minister.”

The Liberals held every Hamilton-area seat during Copps’s decade in power. In the 2006 election, it was wiped out. The Conservatives hold nine of the 13 seats from Oakville to Niagara Falls, including Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, Burlington, Haldimand-Norfolk and Niagara West-Glanbrook. The NDP hold the remaining four.

[email protected]

There's now a chance that the NDP could be the government. One poll have projected the NDP with 100 seats. Liberal with 60 or so seats. Together that's a majority.

If that happens it's likely Harper's budget will be defeated again and NDP will be asked to form a government.

Christopherson if re-elected will likely be a cabinet minister.

Layton love-in boosts locals

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...-boosts-locals

Feeling orange yet?

Political pundits say the resurgence of the federal New Democrats in Quebec can’t help but make it easier to keep three Hamilton seats in the party fold.

And it threatens local Liberals, who used to wield tremendous power in the city.

Recent polls show the soaring popularity of NDP leader Jack Layton has the New Democrats rivalling the Liberals for second place and leading all federal parties in the previous political hinterlands of Quebec.

What does that mean in Hamilton?

McMaster University political scientist Henry Jacek expects to see the three NDP incumbents increase their pluralities while Liberal candidates struggle to stay second ahead of the Conservatives.

“It must be very demoralizing for the Liberals because they have been out of power for five years and now they look like they might be in their weakest situation since Confederation,” Jacek said.

And if the NDP makes history Monday night and becomes the official opposition, it makes Hamilton Centre longtime political lieutenant David Christopherson, should he win his seat, a major party power player, Jacek believes. One local pundit believes Christopherson is on a short list as a possible leadership successor for Layton.

Another political pundit, who asked not be named, said the Layton popularity won’t change the Hamilton political map. While the NDP will hold its seats, the boost of its leader should guarantee victory for Conservative David Sweet in Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale and Dean Allison in Niagara West-Glanbrook.

The pundit said NDP incumbents Chris Charlton and Wayne Marston will be the biggest beneficiaries of the orange surge and should each be able to hold off Tory challenges.

Charlton believes the party’s current popularity may help her beat back a Conservative charge from Terry Anderson in her Hamilton Mountain riding. And she feels it bodes well for the party nationally.

“We had 104 ridings in the last election where the NDP finished either first or second. Are a number of ridings in play? Of course there are.

“I know this is really good news. I know a lot of campaigns are feeling upbeat heading into the last week of the campaign. But I also know the other parties will be attacking us for the remainder of the week,” she said.

Alex Buck, a spokesperson for the Anderson campaign, said the NDP surge in Quebec hasn’t spread west. He said that is probably because most Ontarians still remember how unpopular Bob Rae was as Ontario premier.

“People in Ontario know better than to vote NDP,” he said.

Jon Kastikainen, campaign manager for Burlington Liberal candidate Alyssa Brierley, said Layton-mania hasn’t washed ashore at this end of Lake Ontario.

“I think you may have seen it in some parts of the country where there are a couple of ridings the NDP has picked up, but here, people seem to realize the only way to stop Harper is to vote Liberal,” he said.

[email protected]

905-526-3388

The mid-campaign NDP surge is nothing new to politics, but it rarely sustains through to election night. What is not being reported is the high levels of undecided voters who have yet to set their minds on who to vote for. Mind you, support for the NDP has never been at this level even at any point during a campaign.

If you look regionally, the surge for the NDP is mainly in Quebec, where they may actually gain some 20-30 seats at the expense of the BQ. In the other parts of the country they are taking from both Liberal and Conservative support, more from the Libs than the Cons. For anyone that is not a Harper fan this is terrible news, as the NDP surge, if it sustains, splits the left vote in Ontario and may allow the Cons to pick up enough seats to form their long-coveted majority.

At this stage (based on the April 26 Ekos poll) support looks to be distributing in a manner that will see Parliament with 139 Conservative seats, 80 NDP seats, 61 Liberal seats, 27 BQ seats and Canada's first elected Green MP.

Is there an NDP/Liberal coalition government on the horizon?