On bookends

Jack Layton started the election campaign by taking his challenge to the Cons into Stephen Harper's riding. And to highlight the fact that Layton's focus on Harper hasn't wavered, it's appropriate that one of Layton's closing moves is to take the campaign directly to Harper's finance minister:

Layton, in turn, took aim at one of Harper's chief cabinet members in his first appearance in Oshawa on Monday.

Speaking in the home riding of Conservative incumbent and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Layton insisted Harper has shown in the past five weeks he and his government are out of touch with the concerns of Canadians.

"Nobody knows that better than the people here in Oshawa as we've watched some of the best jobs in this country disappear because of a complete lack of policy, or strategy or even a sense of caring about the issue from our government, including from the Conservative member here," Layton told supporters.

The NDP leader said his party was best equipped to protect the interests of Canadian families in times of economic uncertainty.

"I think that's what this election's boiling down to — who's going to be on people's side? Who's going to be on your side?" he said.

As in the case of Layton's stop in Calgary, there's little indication that the effort to take the NDP's message to Whitby-Oshawa is based on an expectation that a New Democrat will take the actual seat. Though it's worth wondering whether anti-Con voters might find Brent Fullard to be a loopy enough alternative to send their votes the NDP's way.

Whether or not Flaherty's seat is in play, though, Layton is once again making clear that he won't let the Cons go unchallenged in putting the interests of corporate Canada ahead of those of working Canadians. And the fact that Layton has made sure that even Harper and Flaherty had to face that message on their home turf can only confirm that he's the best choice to keep up the fight beyond the election campaign.