The Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats are plowing across vote-rich Ontario and Quebec Saturday, hoping for a Thanksgiving harvest of Canada's volatile electorate.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper suggested voters should ignore the opinion polls in the closing hours of the federal election campaign, while Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said his child care, doctor training and national drug plan could be delayed because of the economic slowdown.
Harper, campaigning in southern Ontario, urged voters to make their own choice at the polls, without worrying about what pollsters predict.
"There's a million polls. Don't be fooled by any of them, this is a close election,"
Harper said during a morning rally in London, Ont., "We're not talking about a majority," said Harper, adding the choice is between the Conservatives and the Liberals.
"Either we win a mandate or they win a mandate and that will make all the difference whether this country gets through this period or dives into a recession."
A poll conducted this week for Canwest News Service and Global National and released late Friday, suggests the Tories have 34 per cent of voter support with the Liberals close behind at 29 per cent. The New Democrats were at 18 per cent voter support, the Bloc Quebecois at nine and the Greens at eight per cent.
"The Conservatives appear to have miscalculated the degree of raw political emotion unfolding across the land," said Darrell Bricker, president of Ipsos Reid, adding there is still volatility but he predicts a Tory minority.
The polls mean politicians are taking nothing for granted this weekend and are blitzing Ontario and Quebec, which have a combined 181 seats – and many are ripe for the picking.
In London, Ont., Harper announced a Conservative government would invest $100 million per year over five years toward the completion of the country's broadband network. Harper pointed out one in 10 Canadians does not have access to broadband.
Dion, in an interview with Global Television, said some of his party's policies could be delayed because of the troubled economy.
"If we don't have the room to act the first and second year, we'll do more the third and four year," Dion said during a taping of Focus: Decision 2008, a program airing on Global stations Saturday afternoon.
"The important thing for us, at the fourth year of our plan we have child care, we have more doctors and nurses, we have everything," Dion said. "So the pace at which we deliver our plan may be changed because of the economic difficulties and because of the fact that Mr. Harper did nothing to prepare the country to the turmoil in which we are."
NDP Leader Jack Layton said Canadians should replace the Conservatives with New Democrats, arguing that looking out for ordinary families is the last thing on Harper's mind. He added that Dion would not be able to do the job of prime minister because he has failed in the role of Opposition leader.
"I urge Canadians to also defeat Mr. Harper's best friend over the past year or so in Parliament – Stephane Dion," said Layton, who spends Saturday in Montreal and in Windsor, Ont.
Dion will continue to campaign in seat-rich Ontario Saturday, visiting Orillia, Newmarket and Vaughan, Ont, while Harper campaigns in London and Guelph Ont., before moving on to Longueuil and Trois Rivieres, Que.
Harper said Saturday he needs to show Quebecers they should elect members on the government side of Parliament.
"The Bloc will continue to be a great critic of whoever is in power – but the Bloc will change nothing."
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe takes his campaign to Dorion, Rigaud, Montebello and Gatineau, Que.
Green Leader Elizabeth May spends Saturday in Antigonish, New Glasgow, Westville and Pictou, N.S.
Last week was one of turmoil on the financial markets and on the campaign. Politicians piled on Harper after he suggested there were bargains to be found as the stock market plummeted. And on Thursday, Harper said Canadian banks were healthy.
"There is no question, no possibility of bailing out the banks," Harper said.
But less than 24 hours later, politicians found themselves reacting to a surprise $25 billion package for the banks to swap assets to make mortgage money available.
"This is not a bailout of banks," Harper said of his government's announcement. "This is a transaction on which the taxpayers of Canada will not lose money."
The Liberals and New Democrats had a slightly different take.
"It's opportunism before the election," said Dion.
Layton questioned the beneficiaries of the Harper plan.
"He's always there for the banks, but never there for the bank customers," Layton said.
Harper also got a setback in his $3.5 million defamation lawsuit against the Liberal party. Harper's own expert says a tape providing key evidence about an alleged bribe was not doctored as Harper claimed. Former FBI agent Bruce Koenig said the portion of the tape dealing with the insurance policy "contains neither physical nor electronic splices, edits or alterations," according to a report entered in court.
"Harper pretended that the tape was doctored," Dion said Saturday. "Mr. Harper tried to tarnish the reputation of a reporter to protect his reputation. And he tried to hide that from Canadians."
Harper disputed the findings Saturday and maintained all the reports showed the tapes were "edited."
"The Liberal party's got a big problem in court, that's all I can say."
For complete election details:
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