Stephen Harper campaign stops in Winnipeg, promises jobs

Stephen Harper's campaign returned to Winnipeg on Tuesdaywith promises to fixthe"fragile Canadian economy" andcreate 1.3 million net new jobs by 2020.

After stumbling through the pronunciationof some names of Manitoba Conservativecandidates, Harper warned the wrong decisions in next month's election "will cause real economic damage everywhere, including here in the Winnipeg area."

An NDP or Liberal government would "take money out of your pockets and destroy the economy," he said, going on to criticize "reckless, dangerous promises that will drive up taxes and kill jobs, including in Winnipeg."

"Friends, that is not our Conservative vision for this country," Harper said, touting instead his party's plan, which includes balanced budgets, a 20 per cent cut topayroll taxes and a permanent home renovation tax credit.

With those initiatives in place, anachievabletarget of 1.3 million jobs by 2020 is realistic, Harper said, adding heanticipatesthose new jobs would be mostly full timeand in the private sector.

He highlighted projects in Winnipeg as examples of his government's infrastructure investments thathave led to job creation,such as the convention centre expansion, PlessisRoad and Waverley Streetunderpasses, and the Red RiverFloodway expansion.

The pro-Conservative crowd at Bison Transport included a number of Tory candidates Saint Boniface-Saint Vital candidate Franois Catellier, Lawrence Toet (Elmwood-Transcona) and Allie Szarkiewicz (Winnipeg Centre).

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Catellier's and Toet's ridings are Conservative, but they face some tough competition from the Liberals and NDP.

Catellier isn't well-known in the riding, said political scientist Raymond Hbert,professor emeritus of political science from theUniversit de Saint-Boniface.

"It's a minus for the campaign, Shelly [Glover] was very well-known in the riding,"Hbertsaid.

Glover won the former Liberal stronghold in 2008 and was re-elected as St.Boniface'sMP in 2011 with more than 50 per centof the vote.

Glover was Manitoba's regional minister and Canada's heritage minister. Sheannounced last April that she was not seeking re-electionso she could spend more time with her family.

The Conservative Party'snationalwebsitesaidCatellieris a father and grandfather who runs an international marketing business. He was not available for an interview on Monday.

He also dropped out of aSt.Boniface-St.Vital all-candidates radio show slated forWednesday morningonCBC'sInformation Radio.

Hbertsaid relatively unknownrookie candidates, such asCatellier, need to do more to get their names out there.

"I think it does matter relative to the other two candidatesbecause the other two candidates are high-profile and one of them, Dan Vandal, is well known in [St.Boniface-St. Vital]," he said.

"But you can't count the Tories out.If there's a three-way vote split, then the Tory might come in."

Hbertadded thathavingCatellierby Harper's side will be a boost for the Tory campaign.

"It will play to the base.I think they'll be happy to see Harper there,"Hbertsaid.

In August, Harper was the first federal party leader to come to Manitobasince the election campaign officially started.

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SaintBoniface-SaintVital voter Elvira Lausman, 32, voted for Glover in 2011. Lausman said she'd be more likely to vote for Glover again, but now with herout of the race, she's not sure.

"I'm really on the fence. Last election I knew where I wanted to lie," she said.

Lausman was aware of NDP candidate Erin Selby and Liberal candidate Dan Vandal, but she had never even heard the Conservative candidate's name before.

"You want to be able to know and relate to whoever's going to be in your riding, and without knowing if this is someone who has kids, or is interested, what they want to bring to the community, how they want to develop things, it's a really hard go," Lausman said.

Allan Jones also lives in the riding and plans to vote Conservative again, though he admits he doesn't know Catellier.

"No, it doesn't matter," Jones said. "It's the policy of the party in the first place. I think when it gets closer, I'll find out a little bit more about them, but I vote mostly party line."

Matthew Dyck, a21-year-old first-time federalvoter in the riding,said he'svoting for anyone but the Conservatives. He said there's nothing thatCatellier orHarpercould do to win his support, but he's been unimpressed with all his local candidates.

"I haven't seen much of what they're running on," Dycksaid. "I haven't seen them interacting in the areas that I'm involved with in the community. So, I'm a little disillusioned with that."

Two other Winnipeg Conservative MPs are not seeking re-election: Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South) and Joy Smith (Kildonan-St. Paul).