Dissatisfied Carleton voters contemplate change
Amid surging support for the NDP, even some diehard Progressive Conservative voters in Ottawa's new Carleton riding admit they're wavering.
"I'm actually a member of the Conservative Party, so normally it would be a slam dunk that the Conservatives would get my vote," Kilah Vandevisch said as she stopped on her way into a grocery store in rural Greely.
Vandevisch was unhappy with how the PC leadership race ended, but said she would never give her vote to Kathleen Wynne. Andrea Horwath, on the other hand?
"There's a possibility my vote's in play."
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Consisting of territory from the old Nepean–Carleton and Carleton–Mississippi Mills ridings, Carleton has a history of going Conservative that dates back decades.
But PC infighting in the region could create an opening — however small.
'Hold my nose and vote for [Doug] Ford'
Fiscal irresponsibility was a consistent complaint among voters in Riverside South, Greely and Stittsville, with many wondering how the parties plan to pay for their growing list of promises.
"I think governments are becoming very frivolous with taxpayers' money. Both federally and provincially, it seems like they feel they've won the lottery with our tax dollars, and I would like to see governments much more frugal in their spending," said Laurie Ryan in Greely.
"I do not want to see the NDP get in and Wynne has just been a total spendthrift. So I'm going to hold my nose and vote for Ford."
Robin Jacobs, a lifelong Conservative voter, said Ontario's debt has reached a "critical" point, and none of the parties seems poised to deal with it.
"It's more about gathering votes, promising the world and not actually delivering at the end of the line," he said.
"They won't deliver it, what they say. It's obvious because it's too much money."
Where the parties stand
Each of the three main parties has had issues with the costing of their election promises, with the Liberals wagering that voters will prefer billions in new spending to a balanced budget.
When the budget was tabled in March, it included a projected $6.7-billion deficit for 2018-2019, but Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk has said the government underestimated the budget by $5 billion.
In April, Ford said he'd launch an independent commission of inquiry into the discrepancy and also promised to release a costed platform.
But a month later, political watchers are still awaiting his party's numbers.
The party most recently criticized for issues with their accounting was the NDP, after Horwath admitted to a $1.4-billion error in her campaign's fiscal plan.
On Saturday, after the CBC Street Talk team visited the Carleton riding, the Liberals introduced a new campaign promise aimed at tackling Ontario's debt.
The newly released platform, which greatly resembles the latest budget, says the Liberals would spend 100 per cent of any dollars that remain unspent when departments beat fiscal projections will go to paying down the provincial debt.
Some voters 'willing to gamble' on Horwath
Jacobs said he's also unhappy with the slate of candidates being offered by the Conservatives: "Quite honestly, I think a lot of the candidates are not very sharp."
Despite those concerns, he can't stomach voting for either the Liberals or NDP.
Others are weighing their options carefully.
"I don't believe everything you hear on TV, especially from people like Doug Ford. I definitely don't want Kathleen Wynne in," said Beverley Hamblin. "That only leaves Andrea Horwath, and they don't have a lot of experience.
"But, you know what? I'm willing to gamble on her."
Health care still a key issue
Stittsville's Carol Holmes-Kerr went into the campaign knowing only that she wanted to see "a change," but now she's leaning toward the NDP.
Having struggled to find care for a loved one with dementia, and having been dissatisfied with the level of home support she received after both her knees were replaced, Holmes-Kerr said she's "tired of money being wasted."
For Hamblin, it's the NDP's approach to dental care that most appeals to her.
She worked for years as an early childhood educator in a low-income community and was devastated to see kids unable to enjoy simple pleasures like ice cream because of issues with sensitive teeth.
"Dental is expensive, and if you don't have it it can be very detrimental to a child's development as well as adults."
Residents in ridings across the city have consistently identified similar issues and similar hopes for the future.
CBC is coming to your riding
The Street Talk team is heading to every provincial riding in Ottawa to find out which issues matter most to the people who live there.
From now until election day on June 7, reporters will go to Carleton, Glengarry–Prescott–Russell, Kanata–Carleton, Nepean, Orléans, Ottawa Centre, Ottawa South, Ottawa West–Nepean and Ottawa–Vanier.
Then we'll take your questions to the people hoping to get your vote.
Come back to our website each day to find out about another riding, and follow the discussion with the hashtag #CBCStreetTalk on social media.
