With tight electoral races in London West, Windsor West, and Windsor-Tecumseh, as well as nationally, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau swooped through Southwestern Ontario to shore up support for Liberal candidates.
Trudeau started his day in Windsor on Monday before heading to Tilbury to shake hands at a restaurant. Over the noon hour, he spoke with volunteers working with Liberal candidate Mohamed Hammoud's campaign in London-Fanshawe. Then it was off to Hamilton, Cambridge, and Oktoberfest celebrations in Mannheim.
Hammoud is running against NDP candidate Lindsay Mathyssen, Conservative Michael van Holst, the Green Party's Tom Gull, and Bela Kosoian of the People's Party of Canada.
At the St. Clair Centre for the Arts in Windsor, Trudeau remained coy whether the Liberals were open to forming a coalition with Jagmeet Singh and the NDP should his party fail to form a majority on October 21. On Sunday, Singh told reporters his party would be willing to form a coalition with the Liberals to stop the Conservatives from forming the next government.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in Windsor September 20, 2019. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)
Trudeau, however, was unwilling to acquiesce.
"I'm campaigning hard to stop Conservative cuts, and elect a progressive government," he told reporters Monday morning. "I think it's very clear to Canadians what happened under Stephen Harper when we had a strong NDP, and we had a strong Bloc. Cuts to culture. Cuts to services. Cuts to veterans. Nothing done on climate change and indeed, a retreat from Kyoto."
Instead, the Liberal Leader continued to hammer home his party's record on reaching a trade deal with the United States and Mexico and lifting American tariffs on steel and aluminum, contrasting his party's history with Conservative demands during trade negotiations to settle quickly, and the NDP's announcement it would reopen the agreement.
Trudeau was not coy about the Liberal plan to address climate change, getting into the micro details that will help homeowners prepare.
Erie Shore Drive August 27,2019. (Photo courtesy of Trevor Thompson)
"People want to fight climate change, but they might be worried about affordability, and groceries, and not have the capital upfront to change their windows or their furnace," he said. "Which is why through CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation), we're making available a $40,000 interest-free loan."
Trudeau also pledged free home audits for those homeowners considering renovations to make their homes more energy-efficient.
He also reminded supporters his government had doubled the gas tax allocation for infrastructure to municipalities. Trudeau said his government has infrastructure dollars ready to invest, but provincial governments have refused to allow the cash to flow to cities and towns.
"Provinces will have two years to provide a list of projects they have prioritized so the federal government can invest alongside them in municipalities in infrastructure they need," he added. "And if they have not provided that list in two years, we will transfer that entire infrastructure allocation to municipalities."
Climate change was pinpointed as one of the top five issues Canadians were concerned about heading into the federal election campaign. The other four issues identified by Ipsos before the writ was dropped September 11 were healthcare, affordability, taxes, and social inequality.
In Windsor West, Liberal Sandra Pupatello is running against NDP incumbent Brian Masse, Conservative Henry Lau, Quinn Hunt of the Green Party, Darryl Burrel of the People's Party of Canada, and Marxist-Leninist Margaret Villamazar.
The Liberal candidate in Windsor-Tecumseh is Irek Kusmiercyzk. He faces NDP incumbent Cheryl Hardcastle, Dan Burr of the People's Party of Canada, Conservative Leo DeMarce, Marxist-Leninist Laura Chesnik, and Giovanni Abati of the Green Party.
Election Day is October 21.