The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

10 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday October 3, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com If you have a news tip or story idea, call the Oakville Beaver at 845-3824. Oakville not likely on Layton or May's election itinerary Continued from page 9 profile candidates. Bonnie Brown, Liberal candidate and incumbent, said she invited Garneau to Oakville to show off Sheridan College, but to also showcase some of the high-profile candidates with the Liberal Party. "I wanted to expose the students here to our science and technology fella on our team and one of our few doctorates we have and I wanted to expose Marc to Sheridan College," she said. "I thought it was a valuable thing for the students and the institution of Sheridan College to have a connection to the person who is probably going to be pretty key in any government we might form." The Conservatives have also brought in some of their well-known candidates during the campaign. Rona Ambrose, minister of intergovernmental affairs, Diane Ablonczy, secretary of state with Small Business and Tourism, and Rob Nicholson, justice minister, have all visited Oakville. Conservative candidate Terence Young said there are two reasons for the visits. "If I'm elected MP, I'll have the opportunity to lobby inside caucus, with the ministers and the prime minister for Oakville concerns, so the fact they've been here and they've seen the town and met some of the peo- Dr. Marc Garneau ple and I have a chance to tell them while they are campaigning what's going on, I won't have to re-explain when I go back to them and say here's the issue," said Young. "The second part, of course, is to show my promise that I will put Oakville on the map in Ottawa because there hasn't been the type of representation that people expect." Young said he has issued invitations to other high profile candidates to visit Oakville during the campaign. He has also invited Stephen Harper back. Young said his goal of getting ministers through town started long before the election was called. "This is not new -- we had John Baird, the minister of the environment, here last December," he said. "I've also BACK TO SCHOOL. BACK TO YOUR WORKOUT. Get back to school savings from Fitness Depot This fall, while your kids are hitting the books, hit your home gym. Working out from home saves you time and our special back to school offers save you money. Get back into your routine today. Talk to one of our sales associates or visit fitnessdepot.ca Precor 517 Northern Lights Granite $1999.88 $1488.00 PaceMaster Bronze Sportop E860 Schwinn 131 Schwinn 430e $398.00 $498.00 $788.00 $1488.88 RENTALS + HUGE SAVINGS ON SCRATCHED, DENTED AND USED FITNESS EQUIPMENT Yoga mats Gym balls Bosu ball from $16.88 from $16.88 $128.00 Prices and availability are subject to change without notice. 905-565-1145 OAKVILLE 905-849-8884 fitnessdepot.ca been trying to get Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay to visit Oakville for some time." NDP candidate Michelle Bilek said she does not think the Liberals and Conservatives inviting high-profile candidates to speak in Oakville will have a significant impact on voters. "I guess it is to raise the profile of their party or maybe persuade voters, but I'm not sure there is any stake in it," she said. "When it comes to politics, it is like religion for people and they are going to vote the way they are going to vote, but maybe it is for the people who are undecided. Maybe it would be tempting to vote for a party that has all these important people backing them up." Bilek said although the NDP has higher profile candidates, party leader Jack Layton is not using them to woo voters. "I don't think Jack Layton is concerned with big names or celebrities -- I think he is concerned about the normal everyday people coming out and supporting him," she said. "I don't think it fits the profile of the party." While Stephane Dion and Stephen Harper have already made stops in Oakville during the campaign, Jack Layton and Green Party leader Elizabeth May have yet to come to town. Bilek said she is hopeful Layton will make an appearance within the next two weeks. "He's been to Hamilton and Brantford, but I think within the next two weeks he'll be making a trip to the Halton region," she said. "You can't be everywhere at all times and four weeks isn't that long. Secondly, this riding isn't considered very supportive of the NDP, but I would love for him to come out. I've met him quite a few times over the last month or so at different rallies and parades, and he is excited and optimistic, even though there is a Liberal or Conservative stronghold on some of these ridings, that we might take some of the voters away from them." Green candidate Blake Poland agrees with Bilek's sentiment that local appearances by Liberal and Conservative star candidates will not yield significant results. He said this election is about the issues, not star power. "When you are in government, you have more titles to choose from, but I think it distracts from some of the core issues that voters want addressed," Poland said. "Focusing the campaign around stars or heavy hitters distracts from the issues. I think after the initial buzz wears off, voters are going to be left with the same questions, which are what do the parties stand for and who is going to bring the best leadership forward on some very pressing issues we're facing." May has been travelling across the country by VIA Rail. Poland said she will likely be unable to come to Oakville before the end of the campaign. "Elizabeth is in high demand and she made a lot of stops on her cross-country train tour and she's trying to split her energy between supporting candidates across the country and running a very important campaign in her own riding, which is not a shoo-in by any means," Poland said. "Other party leaders may have an easier time of it, but she's got her work cut out for her."