China talk from candidates on federal campaign trail

Optimism that Canadian home prices haven’t hit their peak and the economy has better days ahead drove consumer sentiment to the biggest gain in more than a year, weekly telephone polling shows.

All the more reason to stay the course with his government’s economic plan, the prime minister added.

Against a background of plunging stock markets around the world, a dollar down by nearly a cent and oil prices below $40 US a barrel, Harper is urging voters to stick with the Conservative economic plan.

Harper said Monday the “unstable global economy” is the most important issue facing Canadians, and urged them to stick with his party.

Campaigning in Toronto with Mulcair, Stephen Lewis, a former Ontario NDP leader and worldwide diplomat, attacked the Harper Conservatives’ stewardship of the country’s finances, calling them “economic poseurs”.

Martin spoke Tuesday about his record, highlighting accomplishments like his eight budgetary surpluses and the actions he took to pay down the public debt.

He was referring to the recession of 2008 and the fact that economists have suggested the economy likely contracted in the second quarter of the current fiscal year after also pulling back in the first quarter – a technical recession.

“And by effect, to balance the budget they increased, in a big way, taxes”.

I was shocked to see a photograph of Stephen Harper with Scouts in uniform on the front page of the Times Colonist, considering it is against Scouts Canada’s policy to have anyone in Scout uniforms involved in political activities.

He said a re-elected Conservative government would provide funding for a new marine terminal at the Alexandra Pier in the port of Montreal and an expanded cruise ship terminal in Quebec City.

Earlier in the day, Harper announced a plan to improve port facilities in Quebec as part of what he called a maritime prosperity initiative.