NDP Leader Jack Layton kicked off the election campaign in Ottawa before a cheering crowd gathered across the river from Parliament Hill.

Taking a page out of the U.S. election race where "change" has become a political mantra this year, Layton repeatedly promised voters his party is "working for change."

Voting for the NDP "means voting for change that moves us forward, not backward," he said.

Layton's speech focused sharply on Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and the Tories, never once mentioning Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. He blasted Tory policies he said have destroyed jobs, increased Canadians' personal debt, and increased health care wait times.

"I'll act on the priorities of your kitchen table not just the boardroom table," he said, contrasting himself with Harper.

In a speech with a strong populist tone, Layton promised Canadian workers that an NDP government won't reward companies that ship jobs overseas.

"We will invest money with companies that provided training right here at home," he said.

Layton also promised that his party would focus on the environment while protecting jobs.

"We're going to make sure that Canada lives up to the challenge of climate change -- not with Mr. Harper's idle words or by taxing you and your family, but with tough laws that force the polluters to clean up the mess they've made," he said.

Layton delivered his speech entirely in French before giving the English version. The NDP is hoping to make inroads into Quebec -- where it has historically not done well -- after a surprising byelection win in the province last fall.

Layton told voters in no uncertain terms he is not fighting to become opposition leader. Instead, he said he is "applying for" Harper's job.

One of the first stops on Layton's campaign itinerary is the Conservative leader's Alberta riding.

Taking the fight to Harper's doorstep

Playing on the campaign's early theme of contrasting Harper and himself, one of the first stops on Layton's campaign itinerary was the Conservative leader's Alberta riding. A place, Layton said, where people know better than anyone in the country that Harper is "leading us in the wrong direction."

"He's failing to protect jobs in hard-hit industries; he's broken his commitment to shorten health-care wait times; he has failed to get pollution under control," Layton said.

Following his opening campaign speech, Layton told CTV's Question Period the Tories have put corporate interests ahead of those of ordinary Canadians.

"Even recently on this food crisis, we had 14 days of virtual silence. When I met with him I said, 'you've go to be treating this more seriously. You've got to put those inspectors back on the floors of these plants to make sure that Canadians' health is protected,'" he said.

Last week, Harper announced an independent investigation into a listeriosis outbreak that has claimed more than a dozen deaths across the country. Layton said the investigation won't be completed until the spring.

"How many further cases are we going to see," he asked.