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With the Conservatives and Liberals locked in what is evidently a tight race for Monday’s byelection in Brandon-Souris, the two federal leaders have written personal letters to constituents to appeal for their votes.

The prime minister kicked off the letter-writing campaign with a missive extolling his government’s record and bashing the Liberal leader as soft on crime and a bad example to children.

Trudeau is now hitting back with his own letter, directly answering what he calls the prime minister’s “malicious, negative and false attacks.”

The Conservative party paid for Harper’s letter to be delivered by mail.

Trudeau’s letter is being published as an advertisement in the Brandon Sun and being distributed door-to-door by Liberal campaigners.

In his letter, which arrived in mailboxes earlier this week, Harper reminds voters that Trudeau’s Liberals opposed abolition of the “wasteful and ineffective” long-gun registry and dismantling the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly on western grain sales.

He contrasts the Conservative government’s commitment to “continue defending mandatory jail time for big-time drug dealers and child predators” with Trudeau’s commitment to “scrap mandatory prison sentences.”

“On top of that, Justin Trudeau’s plan to legalize marijuana will make it more accessible to our kids and encourage recreational drug use. This is the wrong message to send to our children.”