Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and his New Democrat opponent Jagmeet Singh traded sharp criticism Tuesday in their fight for the hearts and minds of 91Ƶprogressive91Ƶ voters 91Ƶ or those Canadians who aren91Ƶt committed to Conservatives.
Both blasted Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer as their common opponent, but Singh continued to back away from his weekend comment about forming a coalition government with the Liberals after Scheer called that too expensive a proposition for Canadians.
91ƵI want to be your prime minister. But whatever Canadians vote for come the 21st of October, I want Canadians to win. And, so I91Ƶm saying to win, if you vote for New Democrats, we will fight in whatever form the government takes, whatever the power the people give us, to make sure we deliver on the things that people need,91Ƶ Singh said in Toronto.
91ƵI91Ƶm proud of the fact that I91Ƶm ready to fight Conservatives no matter what, and however I can. I think Canadians want that. The majority of Canadians don91Ƶt vote Conservative. The majority of Canadians want a progressive government.91Ƶ
Singh reiterated his main attack points on Trudeau: that his four years in power have been marked by a series of broken promises, and that only an NDP government will tax the richest Canadians to make life more affordable for working people.
Polls suggest the Liberals and Conservatives are deadlocked in support, with the NDP rising nationally and the Bloc Quebecois on the uptick in Quebec following last week91Ƶs two televised leaders91Ƶ debates.
Trudeau took aim at Scheer and Singh as he began a day of barnstorming through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, a major portion of the region that Singh has been accused of ignoring, and that the Liberals swept in 2015.
91ƵThe choice is very clear: are we going to move forward with a government that invests in people and ensure that everyone has access to a family doctor or are we going to go back to a time when Conservatives simply cut services?91Ƶ Trudeau posited in Fredericton.
Trudeau said his government protected Canadian workers by successfully renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with an unpredictable, protectionist Trump administration that was threatening to rip up the deal.
91ƵWe succeeded in renegotiating the most important trade deal we have, despite the fact that in the House of Commons Andrew Scheer was calling for us to simply capitulate because that91Ƶs what Stephen Harper had told him to say,91Ƶ said Trudeau.
91ƵAnd Jagmeet Singh and the NDP are not supportive of the protections we were able to get for our workers, for steelworkers, for aluminum workers, for autoworkers right across the country.91Ƶ
Trudeau is spending his time in ridings the Liberal party hopes to keep in the federal election on Oct. 21. His schedule has him in Fredericton and Riverview, N.B., before moving on to Cumberland-Colchester, Masstown, New Glasgow and Halifax, N.S., where he91Ƶll end the day with a rally.
Scheer was in Quebec, hitting areas where the Conservatives hope to make gains.
Despite the apparent deadlock with the Liberals, Scheer refused to entertain any post-election scenario, including a potential Conservative minority by vowing, 91ƵWe91Ƶre going to get a majority government.91Ƶ
91ƵI91Ƶll leave it to others, and pundits and analysts to speculate. My job in the next six days is to go get that majority government, and that91Ƶs exactly what I91Ƶm going to do,91Ƶ Scheer said in Quebec City, where he committed to meet premiers in January 2020 to improve interprovincial free trade if he91Ƶs elected.
Scheer also dismissed Singh91Ƶs comments on Monday that the New Democrats are 91Ƶnot talking about a coalition government91Ƶ one day after the NDP leader was unequivocal about his willingness to form an alliance to prevent a minority Conservative government.
91ƵIt91Ƶs quite clear that the NDP and Liberals will work together to implement high-deficit, high-tax government. And it91Ƶs quite clear that Justin Trudeau would pay any price to stay in power,91Ƶ Scheer said.
Scheer91Ƶs schedule has him headed to Trois-Rivieres and the Montreal suburb of La Prairie 91Ƶ two seats held by Liberals and one by a New Democrat.
The Green party91Ƶs Elizabeth May is scheduled to talk about her party91Ƶs tax plans in Kamloops, B.C.
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The Canadian Press
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