The largest public sector union in the country is putting its support behind the NDP in hopes of preventing a Liberal byelection win.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees sent Ontario president Fred Hahn to London Thursday to campaign with London West NDP candidate Peggy Sattler.
Hahn says the Liberals need to be punished for undermining democracy.
“When governments like the Liberal government take away the democratic rights of their citizens, there has to be a price for that. Anybody who's ever worked with kids knows there has to be consequences for bad behavior.”
Along with Hahn, Sattler says she has people from different sectors helping with her campaign.
“I've had a lot of secondary teachers in. I've had working men and women, from all walks of life who are enthusiastic, mobilized and ready to help me win this riding.”
Liberal candidate Ken Coran, the former president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, wasn't available for comment Thursday, but his opponents were still talking about his jump from labour activist to Liberal candidate.
If I could sit down with him, I might want to say to him, ‘What the heck were you thinking?’ but at the end of the day, he has to make his own decision and he's done that. Our union and our members have to make their decision,” Hahn says.
While the public service appears to be backing Sattler, Conservative candidate Ali Chahbar is targeting a different voter.
“Jobs is the number one, two and three issue we're hearing at the door,” he says.
And he also had assistance today from a big name.
PC leader Tim Hudak was campaigning with Chahbar in south London Thursday and they unveiled their job action plan.
“I’m confident we can have a rebounded economy with 300,000 new manufacturing jobs across the province,” Hudak says.
His plan includes reducing hydro costs for industry, tax reforms and ending green energy subsidies.
But on the same day as the plan was unveiled, Myers Industries Lawn & Garden Group in Brantford said it was laying off 250 employees.
