Excerpt from Oct. 10 story in Victoria News:
Incumbent New Democrat MP Denise Savoie also said her final campaign drive isn't directed at any specific group of voters. "I'm focusing on every voter I come in contact with," she said.
She'll be out mainstreeting around the riding and taking part in at least two events.
"I'm optimistic but we won't take anything for granted until the last minute," said Savoie.
She didn't see the late visits from the two other party leaders as a threat.
"I think Mr. Harper's attitude, especially given the colossal meltdown we're looking at worldwide ... I think he's really deaf to the fears and anxiety people are expressing to me and proposing no solutions."
Savoie has good reason to be confident, said University of Victoria political scientist Dennis Pilon.
"I don't think the Conservatives can win that seat, I don't think they're really competitive and the Liberals didn't really nominate anybody that had the kind of reputation that I think would have been required," he opined.
The last-minute visits from Harper and Dion owe mainly to the battle over Saanich-Gulf Islands, where Tory MP Gary Lunn will have to fight hard for his seat against Liberal Briony Penn after NDP candidate Julian West dropped out, eliminating a historic vote split on the center-left.