Vaughn Palmer: It's hands off the Green leader the for leaders of the NDP and Conservatives. They might need her in a minority government.

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VICTORIA — For the first half of this election campaign, Premier David Eby and his New Democrats launched a major drive to discredit John Rustad and open up a lead over the Conservatives.

They got so caught up in the negatives, it overshadowed the positive aspects of the NDP campaign.

During the radio debate, Eby devoted more energy to attacking the Conservatives than to promoting NDP promises and programs.

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At one point, the NDP leader tried to distract Rustad by handing him a printout of an ill-advised comment from a Conservative candidate.

Rustad politely pushed it back. Eby demanded he respond. He didn’t.

Premiers, especially ones as controlling as Eby, expect to get what they want with a snap of the fingers.

It doesn’t work that way in an election campaign.

On the day after the debate, the New Democrats released their election platform. Though running to more than 60 pages, it was light on news.

It was top heavy with twice as many disparaging references to Rustad as favourable references to Eby.

Yet after two weeks of the campaign, the opinion polls show what they indicated at the outset.

After making allowances for margins of error, the two main parties are locked in a dead heat.

How was this........

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