Federal leaders fight for support as best bet for the economy

Stephen Harper is in Drummondville, Que. where he is repeating his message that his government is the best bet in uncertain economic times.

After more than a week of relentless questions about the Mike Duffy trial, the market instability give Harper a chance to steer Conservative campaign message his way, promoting themes of experience, fiscal prudence and low taxes.

“It would be very hard to do worse than Mr. Harper… he managed our economy very poorly”, he said in Toronto.

It’s the prime minister’s job to watch the economy, Harper told supporters in Quebec City, and if his opponents have a problem with that, they shouldn’t be running to replace him as prime minister, he said.

“What the other guys are proposing, at a time of enormous market instability, is that they would embark on large-scale, permanent spending increases”, he said.

Mulcair also took a swipe at Martin, portraying him as a kindred spirit of Harper’s by saying both men had given billions in tax cuts to big business.

Recent polls suggest the party is neck-and-neck with the New Democrats and the Liberals, and could well lose its majority in the House of Commons.

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”.

“I want to make sure that everybody understands that the NDP’s position is decriminalization the minute we form government”, he said. He said since 2008 under the Conservatives, Canada has lost 400,000 manufacturing jobs, and there are 200,000 more people out of work now than there were in 2008.

Mulcair also chided Harper has being the only Canadian prime minister to have presided over two recessions.

Harper maintained that his government’s strategy – a balanced budget, low taxes and affordable investments – is right for current challenges facing the global economy.

Trudeau was circumspect on how he would pay for the promise, noting that the Liberals would release a fully costed platform soon.

Trudeau said he wasn’t ready to commit to a no-deficit budget because more needed to be done to stimulate growth and help the middle class.

He also slammed Harper for not being able to deliver “the kind of growth” the economy needs.