Federal candidates converge on N.B.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff both campaigned in New Brunswick Wednesday.

Ignatieff was greeted by a crowd of Liberal supporters in a downtown Saint John restaurant. He used the opportunity to push the party's health care platform and to draw attention to comments critical of the medicare system made by Stephen Harper before he became Conservative leader.

The health care sector is one of the biggest employers in the region. The city is also home to the province's biggest hospital and 7,000 people are without a family doctor.

The Conservatives won the riding from the Liberals in 2008 by less than 500 votes.

"It's so important that you have a party you can count on on health care," said Ignatieff. "This is the ground under which we stand, you must be able to count on universally-accessible, free at the point of service for all medically-necessary services in this country."

A later press conference was crashed by Green Party candidate Sharon Murphy Flatt accompanied by a supporter dressed in a papier-mâché white elephant costume. It was an attempt to draw attention to ongoing issues with nuclear power in the province.

The press conference itself was dominated by national media questions about alleged plans by Ignatieff to form a coalition government, even if the Conservatives have more seats.

The Liberal leader repeated he would not do so unless asked by Canada's Governor General.

Meanwhile, Conservative leader Stephen Harper was in Edmundston. The Conservatives believe they have a chance to take the Liberal-held riding with former Mulroney-era cabinet minister Bernard Valcourt as their Madawaska-Restigouche candidate.

Harper also made an evening campaign stop in Fredericton.