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OTTAWA–Prime Minister Stephen Harper is champing at the bit to have an election because the longer the Conservatives are in power the more the party's fortunes slide, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said yesterday.
"This government is racked with major ethical problems," said Dion.
He recalled the RCMP raid on Conservative headquarters earlier this year related to a controversial election-financing scheme, and that some accused the party of trying to bribe late Independent MP Chuck Cadman into voting with the Conservatives in 2005 to bring down then-Liberal prime minister Paul Martin's minority government.
Dion said Harper broke his promise not to tax income trusts, devastating many older investors, and did not honour his promise to exclude oil and gas revenues from the formula for determining how much financial support "have-not" provinces receive under the equalization wealth-sharing program.
Dion dismissed suggestions his Liberal party is responsible for the virtual paralysis plaguing Parliament, noting it was the Conservatives who produced a handbook on how to disrupt parliamentary committees. "When the Parliament has difficulties it's always because the Conservatives are stalling committees," he said.
Dion said the fact that Harper is threatening to dissolve the government by going to the Governor General rather than live up to the October 2009 fixed election date says "a lot about the Prime Minister" and his willingness to break his word when convenient.
Meanwhile, Dion expects to speak to about 1,000 people at a town hall meeting in Oakville tonight.
Liberal MP Garth Turner (Halton) said yesterday the meeting is a "non-partisan" political gathering where riding residents of all political stripes can meet the Liberal leader.
