NDP looks to gain voters in southwest Ontario

Since the beginning of the provincial election campaign, Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne and PC leader Doug Ford have focused on each other.

Up until recently, the two parties have dominated the polls, with the Conservatives comfortably ahead. However, some recent polls suggest theNDPhave moved into second place behind the PCs.

Accordingly, sights have turned to theNDP, asleader Andrea Horwath tries to win over voters in southwestern Ontario.

Earlier today, the Liberals criticized the NDP's platform, saying there was a $5.7-billion discrepancy in the party's costing which, according to the NDP, is based off of the Liberal budget.

• Ontario Liberals say there's a $5.7B budget mistake in NDP's election platform

NDPin southwestern Ontario

The NDP is capitalizing on the momentum they're gaining in the polls, making two stops in southwestern OntarioSarnia-LambtonandLambton-Kent-Middlesex.

One stop Monday was Watford. The town of3,717 has swung back and forth between Liberal and PC for decades. But Horwath said the NDPplans to win voters over in this region.

"We have a fantastic candidate who is a long-term mayor in this area ...We also have a plan that's going to work for farm families and ruralOntario," she said.

That candidate is Todd Case, a long-time mayor inWatford. And ifHorwathhas her way, he'll help bring voters over to theNDP.

Katie and Leslie Woodfindenrun Carl-lou Farms in Watford. They said this election, they'll be first-time NDPvoters.

"It's having someone like that who you have a lot of faith in, that you've basically had in your backyard for the past 10 years," said Leslie. "It's the faith in the people that run, what they stand for and what they can bring to small communities," said Katie.

Lydia Miljan isn't convinced the NDPcan make much of a dent. "They're (PC) up in southwestern Ontario...Their big support is going to be everything outside of Windsor-Essex," said the University of Windsor political science professor.

Windsor-Essex is anNDPstronghold, both federally and provincially. All three ridings in the area have NDPincumbents.London also has a couple of strong NDPridings.

But, between those two cities, the PCs wield a lot of the political power with incumbents running in both the ridings Horwathtouredtoday.

Horwathtouts healthcare platform

Horwathhosted a health care forum in Sarnia Monday evening.

Questions ranged from how to fix the issues with long-term health care, to the lack of mental health care services in Sarnia, to how Horwathplans to pay for her party's healthcare plan.

To an inquiry about the NDP's policy on the "current drug epidemic" Horwath responded by calling the opioid crisis a "public health emergency across our province."

She added that, despite controversy about the sites, she is committed to funding safe injection sites, something that Ford has come out against.

• Doug Ford says he's 'dead against' supervised injection sites

Another audience member spoke of her sister who had to wait hours in the Emergency Room during a mental health crisis and,even after she was seen, there were no beds to put her in so she had to stay in the ER.

Horwathanswered by saying her party will hire 2,600 mental health care workers, and work specifically to help young people. She also took the opportunity to promote the NDP's proposed Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.

• New Democrats propose ministry to deal with mental health and addictions

Kathrine Prevostwho isa community nurse said she's always voted for who her family voted for, which was traditionally PC."The older I got and the more knowledge I gained, I appreciated what theNDP'splan is," she said. She adds she's leaning toward theNDPbecause of their promise to increase healthcare funding.

Horwathcontinues her tour of southwestern Ontario Tuesday, heading to London, then off to Brantford and Kitchener-Waterloo.