New Democrats try out a sharper line of attack as Conservatives target NDP ridings

New Democrats say they're rolling out a new line of attack against the Conservatives as their leader Pierre Poilievre targets NDP-held ridings.

On Tuesday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh started dropping a new line — "The price of Pierre Poilievre" — an echo of Poilievre's frequent references to what he calls the "Liberal-NDP costly coalition."

The party is also pushing for passage of the pharmacare bill — C-64, one of the centrepieces of its confidence and supply deal with the Liberals — before Parliament rises for the summer. The party says it wants to use it and other policy wins to advance its strategy.

"The price of Pierre is something people are afraid of," Singh said in Thunder Bay, Ont. on Tuesday. "The price of Pierre would mean life costs more, less services, less access to programs you need.

"No more dental care. No more pharmacare. That is a serious price."

The party hopes to reframe how Canadians see Poilievre. Anne McGrath, Singh's principal secretary in the House of Commons, admits the message's substance isn't really different from what New Democrats have been saying for a while.

McGrath said the next election is expected to yield a change in government. Polls show the Liberals bleeding considerable support and the Conservatives in a position to win in a landslide.

"[Canadians] are fed up with the federal government. They want a change," McGrath said. "We intend to make it clear that change can be a positive change."

McGrath said the NDP will continue highlighting the things its parliamentary caucus obtained through the confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals, such as the Canadian Dental Care Plan and an early version of pharmacare. That agreement sees New Democrats support bills put forward by the Liberal minority government in exchange for policy wins on NDP priorities.

McGrath said a Conservative government would put those NDP gains at risk.

"(Voters) should be looking at the kinds of things that Pierre probably will take away from them," she said.

Poilievre has not said explicitly he would scrap dental care, pharmacare or the federal government's national child care plan. He has, however, criticized the effectiveness of these programs, or noted that some have yet to be implemented.

As he tours the country in preparation for the next election campaign, Poilievre has been spending time in NDP battleground ridings in northern Ontario and all over British Columbia.

Several NDP riding presidents say they have been paying attention to the resources Conservatives have been pouring into their districts.