With just 12 days left before voters casts their ballots on May 2, federal party leaders are exercising some precision campaigning while fighting off increasingly bitter attacks from their rivals.
Stephen Harper, Conservatives
Tory Prime Minister Stephen Harper hits some francophone ridings in eastern Quebec and New Brunswick, among them one held by the Bloc Quebecois, another by the Liberals.
In London last night, he said the Harper government stood by as thousands of well-paying jobs were lost in Ontario’s hard-hit manufacturing heartland.
Michael Ignatieff, Liberals
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff heads east to try to recover two former Grit ridings from the Conservatives.
Ignatieff is in Saint John, N.B., where Tory Rodney Weston defeated Liberal Paul Zed in 2008 by just under 500 votes. This time, Deputy Mayor Stephen Chase hopes to retake it for the Liberals.
Ignatieff then travels to Yarmouth, N.S., where the Liberals hope to win West Nova back from the Conservatives. Last time, Tory Greg Kerr narrowly beat Liberal incumbent Robert Thibault – who beat Kerr in 2006 by an even narrower margin.
Jack Layton, NDP
Jack Layton visits the Tory town of Essex, Ont., then travels to NDP country in Thunder Bay, Ont., a day after Ignatieff dropped in looking to steal the ridings away from him.
Gilles Duceppe, Bloc Quebecois
Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe heads south and east of Montreal, beginning the day in Farnham, Que., and ending it in Quebec City.
Duceppe is using some scare tactics of his own, suggesting Prime Minister Harper is out to block another sovereignty referendum.
Harper insists he needs a majority to prevent the resurrection of the separatist threat.
Duceppe says he wants to know how the prime minister will prevent another referendum.
He warns the Conservatives could pass a law to forbid a third vote on sovereignty
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