TORONTO -- Ontario's New Democrats say the Progressive Conservatives must be getting desperate to go negative with a radio advertisement for the Feb. 13 byelection in Niagara Falls.
The Tories released a new radio ad that attacks the New Democrats and virtually ignores the Liberals, who had held the Niagara Falls riding.
The 30-second ad features a woman's voice claiming NDP ideas are "unrealistic," the party voted to close the Fort Erie race track and called a new hospital promised for south Niagara "preposterous."
The only mention of the Liberals in the Tory ad is a claim that the NDP keeps supporting government initiatives to raise taxes, and ends with a warning that "it's getting as bad as the (Bob) Rae days."
New Democrat Taras Natyshak believes "going negative right off the bat is really bottom of the barrel in terms of politics," and says voters want to hear ideas, not just attacks on political opponents.
Party sources say Niagara Falls is a two-way race between the NDP and Conservatives, which is why Tim Hudak has been attacking the New Democrats in his stump speeches.
The New Democrats are not considered much of a factor in the other byelection Feb. 13 in Thornhill, which is seen as a two-way race between the Liberals and the Tories, who had held the seat until Peter Shurman resigned in December.
