Fluri shirts the issue

NDP candidate Dave Fluri chats with a supporter during the official opening Friday of his campaign office. Photo by Phil Novak, BayToday.ca.

Dave Fluri doesn't profess to be a wardrobe consultant, but he does have advice for voters wondering who to cast their ballots for in the federal election Jan. 23.

Fluri says the people he's been talking to while campaigning
are telling him they're fed-up with the two front-running political parties.

"They think Harper’s wrong on the issued and they think the Liberals are scandal-plagued and corrupt," Fluri said.

"My goal is to let people know they have a choice and that they can simultaneously put aside the old stinky blue shirt abd the old stinky red shirt and put on a fresh orange and green shirt, and they can come to the New Democrats because we’re going to get things done."

Fluri made his comments Friday night at the official opening of his campaign office.

He said the NDP offers the voters in the Nipissing-Temiskaming riding a viable alternative.

"The hope that I’m offering people is that they can simply come to the New Democrats who have demonstrated that we are prepared to get results for people," Fluri said.

"We will work to make changes that will make a difference in the lives of average citizens in this riding and we are going to begin starting Jan. 23."

Fluri ran for the NDP in the 2004 federal election, garnering close to 8,000 votes.

He said people have taken notice of him, particularly during the debates.

"I've been told by thousands of people when they see me in debates they think they see something genuine and honest," Fluri said.

"I would encourage people to come out the debate and evaluate the candidates, and I think once they see what Dave Fluri and the NDP stand for in Nipissing-Temiskaming, I think they’ll be genuinely surprised and they’ll come home to the New Democrats."

Fluri said he's even been gratified by the response he's been receiving from people within the local labour movement, which had traditionally been the backbone of NDP support.

"In the previous campaign frequently I would get a lot of 'what are we going to do with the NDP, why would we go there? they’ve never done anything, they don’t have a hope.'" Fluri said.

"This is what I hear all the time, is that they don’t have a hope. Well the only reason they don’t have a hope is that people aren’t voting for them as soon as people starting voting for us we’ll have a hope, and I think they’re going to start doing that Jan. 23, at least that’s my hope."