HARPER MAINSTREETS IN B.C. BACKYARD
THE CONSERVATIVE LEADER SPENT THE MORNING MAKING EASTER BASKETS AND DECORATING EGGS WITH A GROUP OF CHILDREN, AND PARTICIPATED IN AN EASTER EGG HUNT
Apr 24, 2011
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/04/24/cv-election-harper-bc.html
Stephen Harper took his election campaign to a Victoria cul-de-sac Sunday, where the Conservative camp and media descended upon a suburban home.
The Conservative leader spent the morning making Easter baskets and decorating eggs with a group of children, and participated in an Easter egg hunt.
Homeowner Rose Cowles runs a small artist studio out of the back of the house where she teaches children's arts classes.
Harper used the backdrop to talk about a children's arts tax credit first announced on the 2008 campaign trail and promised in the March 22 budget.
Harper is hoping to gain ground in B.C. on May 2, where several swing ridings could hold the key to a Conservative majority.
Following the Easter festivities, Harper took the crowd outside where he took questions from the media.
Harper again answered questions about the Conservatives' Vancouver South candidate, Wai Young, who came under fire for accepting an endorsement from Ripudaman Singh Malik, a local Sikh businessman linked to individuals convicted in the Air India bombings.
Harper said he stands by his candidate and her explanation that she simply did not know who Malik was when she accepted the endorsement. Young has since rejected Malik's endorsement.
Harper was also questioned about whether he can be trusted with a majority government.
[?]
Harper said his record and sound handling of the economy prove he can be trusted.
[Je vais m'étouffer!]
He did not address the question of whether Canadians can trust him, given that several campaign promises — including a pledge not to run a deficit — have been broken.
NDP TAKES HEAT
The Conservative Leader attended a rally Saturday with Conservative candidate John Duncan in Campbell River, part of the Vancouver Island North riding.
Duncan re-took his former seat in the Vancouver Island riding in a tight race in 2008, defeating NDP incumbent Catherine Bell.
“We do know about the NDP around here. And we know better,”
Duncan told supporters at the rally.
Harper also blasted the New Democrats, criticizing party leader Jack Layton over the gun registry.
"Mr. Layton and his partners said no again to fee waivers because they support the long-gun registry,"
Harper said.
"We don't need the long-gun registry and we don't need your taxes to pay for it."
[Mais nous avons besoin des taxes pour acheter des avions de guerre.]
The NDP has been taking heat from all sides as the Liberals, Conservatives and Bloc Québécois after a spate of polls suggested increasing support for it.
Mario Canseco, vice-president at Angus Reid Public Opinion, said he expects the apparent uptick in NDP support will be a major issue in the final week of the campaign.
“One of the main things that has happened over the past 48 hours, now we have Tory ads attacking the NDP,”
he said.
“This is something that we never thought would be possible a few weeks ago.”
The Conservatives held 21 of B.C.'s 36 seats heading into the election, while the NDP held nine and the Liberals held five. One seat was vacant.
Harper was set to make appearances in Victoria and Vancouver Sunday before heading back to Ontario.
THE CONSERVATIVE LEADER SPENT THE MORNING MAKING EASTER BASKETS AND DECORATING EGGS WITH A GROUP OF CHILDREN, AND PARTICIPATED IN AN EASTER EGG HUNT
Apr 24, 2011
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/04/24/cv-election-harper-bc.html
Stephen Harper took his election campaign to a Victoria cul-de-sac Sunday, where the Conservative camp and media descended upon a suburban home.
The Conservative leader spent the morning making Easter baskets and decorating eggs with a group of children, and participated in an Easter egg hunt.
Homeowner Rose Cowles runs a small artist studio out of the back of the house where she teaches children's arts classes.
Harper used the backdrop to talk about a children's arts tax credit first announced on the 2008 campaign trail and promised in the March 22 budget.
Harper is hoping to gain ground in B.C. on May 2, where several swing ridings could hold the key to a Conservative majority.
Following the Easter festivities, Harper took the crowd outside where he took questions from the media.
Harper again answered questions about the Conservatives' Vancouver South candidate, Wai Young, who came under fire for accepting an endorsement from Ripudaman Singh Malik, a local Sikh businessman linked to individuals convicted in the Air India bombings.
Harper said he stands by his candidate and her explanation that she simply did not know who Malik was when she accepted the endorsement. Young has since rejected Malik's endorsement.
Harper was also questioned about whether he can be trusted with a majority government.
[?]
Harper said his record and sound handling of the economy prove he can be trusted.
[Je vais m'étouffer!]
He did not address the question of whether Canadians can trust him, given that several campaign promises — including a pledge not to run a deficit — have been broken.
NDP TAKES HEAT
The Conservative Leader attended a rally Saturday with Conservative candidate John Duncan in Campbell River, part of the Vancouver Island North riding.
Duncan re-took his former seat in the Vancouver Island riding in a tight race in 2008, defeating NDP incumbent Catherine Bell.
“We do know about the NDP around here. And we know better,”
Duncan told supporters at the rally.
Harper also blasted the New Democrats, criticizing party leader Jack Layton over the gun registry.
"Mr. Layton and his partners said no again to fee waivers because they support the long-gun registry,"
Harper said.
"We don't need the long-gun registry and we don't need your taxes to pay for it."
[Mais nous avons besoin des taxes pour acheter des avions de guerre.]
The NDP has been taking heat from all sides as the Liberals, Conservatives and Bloc Québécois after a spate of polls suggested increasing support for it.
Mario Canseco, vice-president at Angus Reid Public Opinion, said he expects the apparent uptick in NDP support will be a major issue in the final week of the campaign.
“One of the main things that has happened over the past 48 hours, now we have Tory ads attacking the NDP,”
he said.
“This is something that we never thought would be possible a few weeks ago.”
The Conservatives held 21 of B.C.'s 36 seats heading into the election, while the NDP held nine and the Liberals held five. One seat was vacant.
Harper was set to make appearances in Victoria and Vancouver Sunday before heading back to Ontario.
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STEPHEN HARPER MARTÈLE SON MESSAGE ÉCONOMIQUE
24 avril 2011
http://elections.radio-canada.ca/elections/federales2011/2011/04/24/007-harper-victoria-vancouver.shtml
Le chef conservateur Stephen Harper s'est de nouveau porté garant de la vitalité économique du pays, dimanche, lors d'un événement de campagne dans la circonscription d'Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, en Colombie-Britannique.
Chez une famille de la banlieue de Victoria, M. Harper a rappelé son engagement d'offrir un crédit d'impôt pour les activités artistiques des enfants. Cette mesure permettrait aux parents de réclamer 15 % de frais admissibles des activités culturelles de leurs enfants, jusqu'à concurrence de 500 $. Ce crédit d'impôt était prévu dans le dernier budget conservateur qui a été rejeté par l'opposition.
Puis, le leader conservateur est revenu sur le thème central de sa campagne, réitérant la nécessité d'un gouvernement conservateur majoritaire qui puisse se concentrer sur l'économie, qu'il considère être la priorité des Canadiens.
Il a une nouvelle fois soutenu que son gouvernement avait « le meilleur bilan parmi les économies avancées majeures », et qu'il s'assurerait qu'il reste sur la bonne voie en « donnant des services abordables au pays, en réduisant les taxes et les impôts et en créant des emplois ».
Interpellé sur sa promesse de rétablir l'équilibre budgétaire d'ici quatre ans, il a assuré qu'il serait en mesure de respecter ses engagements.
« C'est important de rappeler que nous avons présenté au Parlement un plan budgétaire accepté par les experts qui va avoir pour résultat un budget équilibré en 2015. On cherche seulement des économies dans la bureaucratie pour accélérer ce processus. »
Questionné à nouveau sur sa candidate Wai Young qui fait l'objet d'une plainte du candidat libéral Ujjal Dosanjh relativement à l'appui reçu d'un ancien suspect dans l'affaire Air India, le chef conservateur s'est contenté de répéter que son parti ne cherche pas le soutien d'organisations qui sont liées au terrorisme.
Stephen Harper a profité des interventions des journalistes pour se réclamer de la démocratie.
Interrogé à propos d'actes de vandalisme qui auraient été commis au cours de cette campagne, il a déclaré :
« La démocratie est basée sur la tolérance de l'expression des autres opinions partisanes, et nous n'accepterons jamais de tels incidents, et j'espère que tous les partis vont les condamner. »
JAMAIS DE CONFIANCE ABSOLUE
Puis, questionné sur la confiance que les Canadiens auraient du mal à lui accorder, le chef conservateur a affirmé :
« Dans une société démocratique, on ne dit jamais qu'on devrait donner à un chef une confiance absolue. On pose des questions toujours. C'est la nature de la démocratie. »
Il a cependant remis en question la pertinence du présent scrutin, affirmant que les autres partis avaient brisé la confiance des Canadiens en déclenchant des élections dont, selon lui, personne ne voulait.
UNE LUTTE SERRÉE
En 2008, le député libéral Keith Martin - un transfuge conservateur, ancien réformiste et allianciste - a été réélu de justesse dans Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, battant son rival conservateur Troy DeSouza par seulement 68 voix.
La formation de Stephen Harper ne ménage pas les efforts pour ravir le siège au Parti libéral, d'autant plus que M. Martin, qui l'occupe depuis 1993, ne se représente pas.
Il a cédé le flambeau à Lilian Szpak, conseillère municipale pour la Ville de Langford.
Le néo-démocrate Randall Garrison, qui était arrivé tout juste deuxième en 2004 et 2006, s'était absenté de la course de 2008. Son retour dans l'arène pourrait brouiller les cartes.
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