NDP candidates optimistic about win

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This article was published 15/09/2011 (5519 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon’s NDP candidates say they are confident that in three weeks time, the Wheat City will once again be represented in the provincial legislature under a single party banner.

In officially opening their shared campaign office at the Trails West Inn on 18th Street North, the NDP’s Brandon East incumbent Drew Caldwell and Brandon West candidate Jim Murray both expressed confidence that their “Team Brandon” approach will be embraced by voters on Oct.4.

“It’s always been my philosophy, in all my political career, my slogan and my motto and my work ethic is ‘Working for Brandon,’” Caldwell said. “On both sides of 18th Street, in Brandon West and in Brandon East, we’re one community, and today we are solidifying that.”

“I think that what you see in this community is that people expect the people that are elected, regardless of whether it’s in Brandon East or Brandon West, to work for both sides of 18th Street,” Murray added.

“Drew and I very much believe in that, that it doesn’t matter what side of 18th Street we live on or what side of 18th Street a particular institution is on, it belongs to Brandon and belongs to everybody.”

In continuing his march across the constituency, Murray said he has been hearing more and more support for Greg Selinger and the NDP, which is both buoying and confidence-boosting.

“I went down a street two nights ago (and) we owned that whole street,” he said.

“I was knocking on doors and they all said ‘You’re with the NDP? OK, you got my support!’ I can tell you, when you get to the end of a block like that, you’re energized and you’re charged and the next block, you’re running down that street. People are patting you on the back and saying that your government is doing a good job.”

Caldwell, meanwhile, said he has had a good reception at the doorsteps so far in his campaign by simply reiterating what’s at risk if the NDP is not returned to government.

“People are aware that there are a significant number of projects underway in Brandon — the construction of Assiniboine Community College, the further construction at the Brandon Regional Health Centre, commitments to infrastructure — that are at risk with a change in government,” he said.

“There’s a real feeling that we’ve got a lot of projects on the go in Brandon right now that we cannot take the risk of losing those projects with a change in government.”

Running against Caldwell are Progressive Conservative candidate Mike Waddell, Liberal candidate Shaun Cameron and Green Party candidate Vanda Fleury.

Murray is running against PC candidate Reg Helwer, Liberal candidate George Buri and Communist Party candidate Lisa Gallagher.

All candidates, plus those in the nearby rural constituency of Spruce Woods, will square off at the Victoria Inn tonight, at a forum hosted by the Brandon School Division and the Brandon Teachers Association.

The forum gets underway at 7 p.m in the Imperial Ballroom and is open to the public.

» adowd@brandonsun.com