A former Conservative MP is facing off against his former party in rural Manitoba.
Inky Mark is running as an independent candidate and he's on the attack against the Tories in the riding of Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa.
Both Mark and the Liberals are hoping to shake things up in the longtime Conservative riding.
Even though Jim Steiner doesn't farm himself, the Dauphin business owner said issues affecting farmers are the most important for voters in the rural riding of Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa.
Steiner has voted Conservative in the past but didn’t like how the Tories aimed to cut funding for the Experimental Lakes Area research station or the way the government dismantled the Canadian Wheat Board.
"I'm disappointed in the government," said Steiner.
"I supported Harper and his party but I was disappointed and that's going to make my decision tough because those things meant a lot to me and I think they're bad decisions by the present party."
Former Conservative MP Inky Mark once served in Stephen Harper's government and was Dauphin-Swan River’s MP for 13 years.
This election, he's taking direct aim at his former leader, posting anti-Harper signs west of Dauphin.
Mark is running as an independent and said the Tories should've kept the wheat board because it helped farmers get better prices for their grain.
"Two years ago they were getting over $9 delivered to Vancouver and today it's just a little over $4 and that's what happened. We've gone back to the pre-wheat board days of the thirties,” said Mark.
Liberal candidate Ray Piché said the wheat board was a useful tool and, if elected, he promises to consult farmers before making future changes that affect their livelihood.
"We should be having dialogues and communication with them and find a solution that works best for them not what works best necessarily for the government of Canada," said Piché.
Incumbent Conservative candidate Robert Sopuck is running for re-election but would not make himself available for an interview with CTV News.
As for Jim Steiner, he still doesn't know who's getting his vote.
"It's the devil you know versus the devil you don't know," said Steiner.
And the candidates are running out of time to convince him.
Kate Storey is running for the Green Party for the fifth time. She told CTV News her party’s platform has resonated with voters in the riding.
Laverne Lewycky is a former NDP MP for Dauphin-Swan River and is running again in this year’s election for the NDP. Lewycky did not respond to CTV’s request for an interview.
