After a flurry of promises and policy pronouncements in the first two weeks of the election campaign, local Liberal candidate Murray Todd brings the great debate back to one over-arching issue.

“Accountability is an ongoing concern,” Todd said Friday at his downtown campaign office. “We have to remember that transparency and accountability are why we’re having this election in the first place.”

While health care is consistently identified as a top priority for many Canadians — a priority that sometimes trades places with the economy in national polling — that’s not why electors are going to the polls May 2.

The governing Conservatives continued to stress economic stability and stewardship as the main planks in their platforms, the Liberals are sticking to their guns over contempt of Parliament findings.

“We’re in this because of the Harper government’s insistence on not being transparent,” he said. “How do you commit Canadian dollars to something you have no handle on?”

That applies directly to the question mark hanging over a plan to spend $16 billion on fighter bombers, a plan that some say could cost twice that amount, and construction of new prison cells. Opposition parties accused the government not coming clean with the full costs.

“By doing that, they’ve obviously denied us the opportunity to have an informed opinion about what they’re doing,” Todd said. “This is an affront to democracy.”

The rookie politician, who succeeded Ken Sommerfeld as the Liberal nominee for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, has spent much of the past two weeks door knocking around Kamloops. Next week he tours the rural areas of the riding, which extends to Valemount and 100 Mile House. Sunday he meets with a local group that has expressed concern about government accountability, although that is not the issue he’s hearing most on doorsteps.

At this point, concerns are difficult to narrow down, he said.

“One person asked about the death penalty, another about opening up NAFTA and another about trade negotiations with the U.S. . . . But the questions have been really interesting.”

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff promised Friday to provide annual six-per-cent increases in health transfers to the provinces once the current Canada Health Accord expires in three years. The Tories countered that they had already factored in those increases into their fiscal framework.

Todd suggested he isn’t overly concerned about the Catch 22 campaign, which is urging voters to support the NDP in the riding with an anyone-but-Harper strategy.

“I think it sort of shows the public is actually pretty engaged in this election and this is an outcome they’d like to see.”

Liberal support locally collapsed in the 2008 election, so Todd and his team have a challenge over the next three weeks in rebuilding past support. Naturally they’ll be looking to win over some past NDP supporters as well.

“We can show them that we have a rally viable platform that appeals to working-class families and middle-class families.”