Leaders head back out on trail

OTTAWA— The Liberals promised innovation, the Tories, home ownership and New Democrats went to the Arctic to pledge a better supply of nutritious food for northern residents.

A day after Monday’s debate in Toronto, three party leaders scattered across the country to pick up their campaigns.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau spent Tuesday in Winnipeg where he promised $600 million over three years to boost what he called an “innovation agenda.” He said the money would be used to encourage greater partnerships between businesses, government and post-secondary research.

He committed another $300 million in additional funding for the Industrial Research Assistance Program with a new focus on small business innovation. “A new Liberal government will invest to kick-start Canada’s innovation potential,” Trudeau said.

Thomas Mulcair stopped in Iqaluit, where he said an NDP government would improve food delivery to isolated communities and end what he called the reliance on “cheap, unhealthy foods” that undermines the health of local residents.

He pledged $32 million to “fix” Nutrition North, a federal program that subsidizes delivery of perishable nutritious food to the north, and expand it 50 communities currently excluded from the program.

Mulcair took aim at Stephen Harper’s annual trips to the North, saying the Conservative Leader has been using northern communities as “convenient photo-ops” while doing little to address basic concerns.

Harper promised Tuesday that the Conservatives’ economic policies would boost home ownership in Canada by more than 700,000 over the next four years. “We are not lowering the threshold for achieving home ownership but raising Canadians’ ability to achieve it through lower taxes, economic growth and new well-paying jobs,” Harper said.

Buying a home is about “statement of optimism,” said Harper, who was in Vaughan to help Julian Fantino, the local Conservative candidate.