Layton Backs Navy In Esquimalt

ESQUIMALT - With HMCS Winnipeg and her crew practically within earshot, Jack Layton laid out his battle plan Friday at Fort Rodd Hill. "Our defence policy is broken, and it's time for us to fix it. It's time for a defence policy made in Canada that gives Canadian military personnel the tools they need, and our ship-building talent the opportunity to use their skills."

Layton is pledging to maintain defence spending but calls the Conservative plan to purchase 65 stealth fighter jets high-risk, and instead wants to replace two aging supply ships, HMCS Preserver and Protecteur. The latter is based at CFB Esquimalt. And he wants them to be built at home.

UVic political expert Dennis Pilon says Layton's appeareance in Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca certainly comes as no surprise, and has everything to do with the retirement of longtime MP Keith Martin, which Pilon says has essentially hit the riding's reset button. "Martin was one of those curious guys who managed to pull people from all over the spectrum, he's kind of a maverick and people respected him...now that he's not in the mix I expect everyone to return to their home team. I expect to see Liberal support to go down and NDP support to go up."

New Democrat candidate Randall Garrison says Layton's visit, and committment to the riding's naval presence, is already changing minds. "We're turning out more volunteers and the volunteer campaign is how we're going to win this riding.

Nonetheless Pilon still feels the riding is Conservative Troy DeSouza's to lose. "You don't often see a candidate run repeatedly and consistently to try to place himself as a presence in the community and certainly Troy Desouza has done that."

Liberal candidate Lillian Szpak will be looking for a similar boost sometime before the end of next week, when her leader, Michael Ignatieff, is expected to make his first Vancouver Island appearance of the campaign.

Follow Andrew Johnson on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/ANewsAndrew

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• /A\ News Vancouver Island
• Esquimalt
• Navy
• NDP
• Jack Layton
• Ships
• Build
• Pledge
• Canada
• Federal
• Election
• Andrew Johnson