Ontario NDP candidate for Nipissing Henri Giroux used the official opening of his campaign headquarters on Cassells Street Monday night to tell party faithful they're gaining in support.
Giroux cited four examples he said occurred within the past few days. When out knocking on doors, he says he was able to convince people who voted either Liberal or Progressive Conservative in past elections, to put an NDP sign on their lawn.
"We have a good platform. We know its costed. We know that it's going to be paid for in four years. We have a platform now, for five years and 10 years time."
Giroux says that platform includes offering universal pharmacare and dental care. Loans will become grants for students. And Ontarians can expect a 30 per cent reduction in hydro rates, and a plan to buy back Ontario Hydro and make it public again.
The NDP is also committed to providing four hours of guaranteed hands-on care for residents of long-term care homes.
"When we look at the Time to Care Act for the nursing homes, we want a standard for care, four hours per day. The NDP was the only party that brought it to Queen's Park and twice the Liberals prorogued government so it died. Andrea Horwath brought it again one more time and they prorogued the government because we have an election now. So we know the Liberals don't want to have anything to do with that kind of care, four hours of care for residents per day. The conservatives don't even have it in their platform."
The Nipissing NDP candidate has pledged more support for mental health services.
"Mental health, especially here in Nipissing, is big. We're going to decide to do the same model that they have in British Columbia. And that model is to bring all those ministries together. When you have mental health you don't want to be calling five, six, seven places and then you get so confused you decide to give up, you don't do anything about it, and it gets worse. This way one phone call, one area, they can direct you where ever."
Giroux says the NDP has the formula to pay for its promises, which includes taxing the wealthy.
"Anybody can go look at our plan, it's all costed out. One thing that we want to do is anyone making over $220,000 a year will pay one per cent more. Anyone making over $300,000 will pay two per cent more."
As for the return of the Northlander passenger train, Giroux admits it won't be an easy fix.
"We've committed to put $25 million each year for the next four years toward the Northlander, and then we'll do a case management on it, and then we're going to bring it back. It's the priority of the NDP to bring it back."
Asked about the possibility of an NDP-Liberal coalition, Giroux stated quite emphatically, that it isn't going to happen.
"We don't need to entertain a coalition. It seems like the Liberals, every time they seem to be deep under, that's when they start to want to talk about a coalition."
This is Giroux's fourth election campaign. He pledged to spend his day campaigning by knocking on doors, lots of doors from morning until night. Giroux believes the battle to win the Nipissing riding is a two-party fight, between the NDP and the PC party.
"The wave is changing. I tell them (voters) in Nipissing especially, you don't have to go from Liberal to Conservative, back to Conservative. You don't have to go from bad to worse. You want a change, and you want a change for the better. We are the change. On June 7th we're going to go to a victory party, and it's going to be our victory party."
