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Canvassing on a glorious late summer’s afternoon in this hamlet 30km south of Halifax, Godbold has discovered he is kicking at a rotten door when it comes to swaying people from Stephen Harper’s Conservatives.

“The Conservative changes to employment insurance are a big deal. Fishermen in Shelburne have to drive 100 km to Liverpool or Bridgewater to get alternative employment and there’s a lot of frustration with that. People feel short-changed. They’re not seasonal workers by choice,” he said.

Melvin, a Boutiliers Point senior, is repairing a mower in his yard when Godbold shows up and asks if he is thinking of voting NDP.

“Oh probably. I’ve been listening to some of this stuff. Harper there — he’s got to go,” he says.

“I haven’t decided yet but I’ve ruled out the Conservatives for sure. Anybody can do better than Harper,” says another lady.

The comment is repeated in some variation at every one of the 15 homes Godbold visits in the course of the next hour or so.

Not all were NDP voters, but none were Conservatives.

Canvassing with candidates to find out what voters are really thinking is an inexact science — by definition, it’s a snapshot of one or two streets, most often chosen to reflect well on the candidate in question.

But after door-knocking with candidates in three Maritime ridings, and talking to a number of knowledgeable party insiders, the conclusion is inescapable: Of the 14 seats in the region the Conservatives won in 2011, they are in danger of losing 10.