PCs target vulnerable seats

Newfoundland and Labrador's Tories have launched their campaign road trip in two districts where tight races appear to be shaping up.

Holding 43 of the house of assembly's 48 seats going into the campaign, Progressive Conservative Leader Kathy Dunderdale took her campaign Tuesday to Labrador West, where a three-way race is underway.

On Tuesday night, Dunderdale flew back western Newfoundland to help launch the campaign for Tory backbencher Terry Loder, who edged Liberal incumbent Eddie Joyce by just 297 votes in 2007. [Read adistrict profile of Bay of Islands here.]

"I've got a bigger team now working with me so, you know, we're hoping to have a very successful campaign," Loder said.

Joyce is hoping to make a comeback in the district for the Liberals. The NDP candidate is Tony Adey.

The opening stops reveal something about the Tory electoral strategy. Ahead in the polls and with more resources than the other parties, the PCs are hoping to shore up support in seats they fear may be taken back.

Kathy Dunderdale announced an education plank in the forthcoming "blue book"a promise to extend a tuition fee freeze for another four yearsin Labrador West, where Tory candidate Nick McGrath admits it will take work to win the seat. [Reada profile of Labrador West here.]

"It's always a tough run. Not just the NDP, the Liberals also have a strong candidate," said McGrath, who is competing against Liberal candidate Karen Oldford and the NDP's Tom Harris.

Over the last two decades, all three parties have represented Labrador West, which was most recently held by retiring Tory backbencher Jim Baker. Baker won the seat in 2007 with a 356-vote margin.