Layton prepared for election

Layton said these are issues the federal government needs to look at. If they aren’t addressed, he is prepared to go to an election.

“It’s hard to say, Mr. Harper says he wants to work with the other parties and he doesn’t want an election,” Layton said.

“The conservatives are unfortunately playing political games, spending more money on attack adds than the issues.”

He said the NDP has made proposals for the government to look at, but they are not hearing back from them.

“I would rather get things done for people, but if it comes to it, then we’ll get on with the election. If the budget does not respond to people’s needs then we will go to the polls, and that could happen. The budget would be sometime in March and that would be the timing of it.”

He said with the election comes another issue – a law that requires voters to have photo ID.

“Now they have to go and pay to have one of these expensive forms of ID.”

NDP candidate for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, Lawrence Joseph, agrees that it is an issue.

He said between 1,000 and 1,500 aboriginal people were turned away at the last federal election because they did not have the required identification.

“A lot of people that are affected are seniors and people that are unemployed and people that can’t even afford the $10 that you spend on to get an ID,” Joseph said.

Being a new candidate for the party, he said he wants to expose the issues First Nations people are dealing with.

That is the type of thing Robert Doucette, Métis Nation of Saskatchewan president, was hoping to hear.

He said he was not at the meeting to support any political party, but just to hear what the NDP had to offer.

“If any party wants the Métis vote, they’re going to have to talk about these issues,” he explained, listing them to include residential schools, housing and disease.

He said some seniors need to choose between their medicine, rent and food.
Layton said he is ready for whatever comes next.

“We’ve got great candidates whenever the election might happen,” he said.

klavoie@panow.com

by Kellah Lavoie

Layton prepared for election

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