HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's election campaign began Tuesday with the governing Conservatives setting their sights on stopping the NDP from doing something the party has never done before - form a government in Atlantic Canada.
"This is no time to roll the dice," said Conservative Leader Rodney MacDonald. "This is no time for risky promises by the NDP. This is a time for stability."
Recent polls suggest the contest starts with the Tories and Liberals needing to make up ground on Darrell Dexter's New Democrats, a position the party was in under a different leader in 1999. That time the NDP fell a long way short of victory as the Tories pulled off a stunning resurrection by winning a majority government.
Minutes after meeting with Lt.-Gov. Mayann Francis on Tuesday to set the election date for June 9, MacDonald tried to define the two main issues in the 35-day campaign as the NDP and the economy.
"Our party, the Progressive Conservative party, has a proven record on the economy," he said. "We have a proven record on job creation and we have a proven record when it comes to managing the finances of this province."
He kept up his attack during a noon-hour rally at a downtown Halifax hotel before a cheering crowd of Tory candidates and party supporters.
He blamed the opposition parties for forcing an election by bringing down his minority government, which fell on Monday when it was defeated in the house on a bill that would have allowed it to miss debt payments.
The opposition parties argued the bill would have allowed the government to avoid a deficit, hiding the true state of the province's finances.
The opposition parties, MacDonald said, also sank the budget, which means delaying the full implementation of the government's $1.9 billion three-year economic stimulus plan.
"Together we worked hard to build our economy and weather the world economic storm," MacDonald told the crowd. "We worked too hard to squander those gains on the irresponsible spending and increased taxes that are the hallmark of the NDP."
Later, MacDonald told reporters he thought the election was shaping into a "two-horse race" between his party and the New Democrats.
Meanwhile, the premier's main target began his campaign in the Halifax-area riding currently held by Tory cabinet minister Barry Barnet.
NDP Leader Darrell Dexter delivered a brief speech to about 30 party supporters crammed inside a small room at a community centre in Middle Sackville.
Again and again, Dexter returned to the same, simple theme: the need for change after almost 10 years of Tory rule.
"Mr. MacDonald had his chance," Dexter told the crowd.
"He had the opportunity to lead this province and instead he made mistakes. ... He wouldn't be honest with the people of the province about the state of the books. It is time for a change."
When Dexter was asked about MacDonald's assertion that a vote for the NDP is a risky alternative during tough economic times, Dexter shot back: "I don't know what could be riskier than four more years of Conservative government under Mr. MacDonald."
Dexter said the NDP offered a team with more legislative experience than any other party, and he promised to keep emergency wards open, reduce health-care wait times and cut the tax on home electricity.
All of the back and forth between Dexter and MacDonald didn't go unnoticed by Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil.
McNeil, who is running his first provincewide campaign since becoming leader two years ago and is something of an unknown, seemed happy to let the other parties slug it out.
During a campaign event in Halifax, McNeil told supporters that the Liberals, who have been making steady gains in the polls, will present a "positive alternative" to voters.
"If you look we're the only party in recent times moving up in the polls. We are the party that Nova Scotians are turning to now in this economic crisis," said McNeil. "It will only be a one horse race at the end of this election and it will be the Liberal party who will be standing wanting to work with Nova Scotians to build this province."
McNeil's campaign will focus on the economy with an emphasis on doing more for the province's small businesses through tax cuts and microcredit loans for small enterprises.
Voters in Nova Scotia last went to the polls shortly after MacDonald became Tory leader in 2006, when the Conservatives won their second straight minority.
At dissolution, the Conservatives had 21 seats in the 52-seat legislature. The NDP had 20 and the Liberals nine. One seat was held by an Independent and one seat was vacant.
Conservative cabinet minister Brooke Taylor announced Tuesday he will not be running again.
First elected to the legislature in 1993, Taylor was the longest sitting Tory.
He was recently treated for prostate cancer, but said his departure wasn't health-related.
"It's just time to let somebody else step in and become the MLA for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley," said Taylor.
