Stark policy differences and bad blood make Liberals and NDP uncertain partners

What sort of demands would Liberals and the NDP make on a downsized Harper government?

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau admitted the Conservatives’ repressive and widely condemned Bill C-51 security legislation was wrong.

Mulcair told supports in Maple Ridge, B.C. polls suggested his party would be fourth in Quebec in 2011, when in fact they rode the so-called Orange Wave to assume the role of Official Opposition in the House of Commons.

Canadians will go to the polls Monday October 19th.

“It’s important for them to keep the troops motivated, and also to reach out to the left wing of the party”, he said. “At Ford Fest we had five thousand people”, he said, referring to the barbeque the Ford family hosts semi-annually.

“Here’s the thing”, he added.

Ensconced in the corner of an airy doughnut shop on a traffic-choked commercial strip in the booming suburbs east of Toronto, “listening surreptitiously to all the conversations”, Trinidad-born novelist Rabindranath Maharaj is a keen observer who freely admits to being baffled by the attraction of the Conservative party among his fellow immigrants.

Leadnow focused on 72 “swing” ridings the Conservatives won or lost by a small margin last election.

If Harper retains power, he will continue with an agenda that has restored the confidence of Canadian conservatism.

To counter Mr Trudeau’s gathering momentum the Conservatives have started warning Canadians what might happen if he wins.

Mulcair did not make any new announcements at the rally, which was held outside Saskatoon West candidate Sheri Benson’s campaign office, instead urging Saskatoon residents to vote for the city’s three NDP candidates, and reiterating the party’s promise of 15 dollar per day child care.

The New Democrats maintain they are still in the fight. History shows the NDP takes the right position, despite initial public criticism. “Lord knows your region certainly deserves better than you’ve got right now with the Conservatives and we saw that again in the debate”.

But Trudeau fired back at the Conservative leader, saying he wouldn’t be clawing back any of the boutique tax credits for families that Harper was warning about.

As of Tuesday, the Vote Together campaign had more than 87,000 supporters across the country who have pledged to vote strategically. “My priority is to get rid of Stephen Harper, defeat him and replace him with a progressive NDP government”.

The question is whether the Conservatives’ effort to mobilize their nativist base in the rest of Canada using deliberate expressions of religious intolerance has tarnished their appeal to the immigrant voters about to decide their fate.

Mulcair was canvassing on Vancouver Island over Thanksgiving weekend, where he is hoping to gain seats. Those who want deficit spending are going to vote for the only party promising it-the Liberals.

The Liberals have launched their own advertising blitz, featuring video of Trudeau during a large rally in Brampton, Ont., earlier this month. But Liberal leader Julian Trudeau has repeatedly ruled out any type of formal coalition.