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NDP candidate sounds off against Conservatives

Bill Sundhu strikes, Cathy McLeod parries on platform

Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo NDP candidate Bill Sundhu recently launched his campaign for the Oct. 19, 2015 federal election with an attack on Conservative policies.

In his recent campaign release, he sums up the federal government’s latest policy work as "dismal and disappointing" and he promises voters will have a "clear progressive choice" at the polls.

"[Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s] performance in 2014 has shocked fair-minded Canadians. His refusal to adequately protect the environment, his slashing of the health-care budget, yet another massive omnibus bill, and voting against changing the electoral system ... all stand out as backward and regressive."

Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod says she disagrees with most of what Sundhu states in his release.

"We have made important changes to our environmental assessment processes that provide a good balance between getting to a 'yes' or 'no' in a timely way, while appropriately protecting the environment."

Rather than allowing due process to happen through environmental assessments, the NDP MPs in British Columbia are instead "on the picket lines" protesting major resource projects, she adds.

"... in terms of resources development, which is a critical issue in terms of prosperity for rural communities, I think their policies are very out of touch."

Sundhu says the NDP has shown "real leadership" in the House of Commons, and points to its pushing for the removal of the "dangerous" DOT-111 train cars among a number of other issues he sees as election fodder.

"We will present Canadians with a progressive, forward-looking platform in 2015 and include $15-a-day universal child care, reopen service centres for veterans, an increase in the federal minimum wage and restoring funding for health care."

McLeod says government has been "working very hard" on rail safety and child-care policies.

"We believe in giving the money to the parents; [the NDP] believe in setting up programs that don't serve the variety of needs of both rural and urban [citizens]."

It is "a bit early" to get into election mode at this point, she adds.

"I think what's going to be very critical is the next budget that comes forward [this spring] ... we're going to be back to a balanced budget, which is great.

"We have fulfilled most of our [2011] election promises."

These include new wireless policies, broadband extensions and removing the long gun registry, she says, adding the NDP want to bring that registry back.

McLeod adds the Official Opposition's priorities are "not reflective" of rural needs, in particular.

"The NDP certainly, in my opinion, has policies that would be economically disastrous for this country."