Toronto – September 13, 2014 – Recent trips to the North by the Leader of the Opposition Tom Mulcair, and by Stephen Harper provided a stark contrast in styles and in how they connect, speak and listen to the voters.

Stephen Harper’s recent trip to the Arctic included plenty of photo ops on Navy ships as he searched for the remains of the Franklin expedition. There were no meetings with the public, and no opportunities to ask him any meaningful questions.

Harper declared that solving the mystery of the Franklin expedition was a top priority, while at the same time dismissing the renewed call for a national inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women in light of the tragic death of Tina Fontaine.

Meanwhile, NDP Official Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair arrived in Iqaluit as part of his cross-country listening tour. Accompanied by MP Romeo Saganash, the NDP Deputy Critic for Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs, Mulcair held a town hall at the Francophone Centre. The Centre was packed, there was no intimidating security detail and there was no screening of the questions or those asking the questions. Mulcair stood before the audience fielding their questions about topics like economic development, social policy, electoral reform and language laws. Mulcair reiterated his commitment to launch an inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women in their first 100 days of power.

After the town hall, Mulcair and Saganash were spotted around town not through tinted SUV windows but actually meeting with community organizations, media and local politicians.

Mulcair’s tour was not about photo ops. It was about engaging with and listening to northerners and what their priorities and needs are. It is refreshing to have a national leader whose agenda revolves around consulting and communicating with the voters.