Stephen Harper, Justin Trudeau tally who offers families more

JustinTrudeauand Stephen Harper battled over whose policies will put more cash into the pocketbooks of everyday Canadianson Tuesday during campaign stops in the Toronto area.

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Harper, speaking to supporters at a film equipment rental company,repeated a weekend stunt in which he added up the purported impact of theLiberal platformon the finances of Canadians.The Conservative leader had a local pizza shop owner slap down dollar bills with a cash register sound effect to emphasize each point.

The event was attendedby Toronto city councillor and former mayor Rob Ford and his brother Doug, a former councillor and mayoral hopeful who is said to be eyeing a run for the Tory leadership.

Harper staged a similar demonstration during an event on Monday, which prompted an apparent response from the Liberal camp when Trudeau made his first appearance of the day at a Toronto cafe.

Trudeau's speech included a nod to a local family who, he said, are working to pay down debt while saving for their children's education. The Liberal leader said his economic plan, which includes a tax cut for the middle class, would put $5,100 back into the family's pocket.

With some polls pointing towarda Liberal minority government,Trudeauis under pressure to pryvoters away from theNDP and the Conservatives. His speechin the NDP-held riding ofBeaches-East Yorktouted theprogressive policies he has promised if elected onMondaywhile likening NDP Leader TomMulcair'splatform to that of Harper.

"It's clear that TomMulcair'sNDP isn't offering real change,"Trudeautold the crowd. "He would rather balance Stephen Harper's budget than invest in our communities and give families the help they need right now."

Justin Trudeau is asked by reporters which tax credits he would cut if elected prime minister

9 years ago

Duration 2:30

Stephen Harper has attacked Trudeau's economic plan over the Thanksgiving Weekend

Asked if he's worried about losing support toTrudeau, Harper insisted voters won't be fooled by the pitch.

"I don't think that conservatives, certainly people who lean to our party, are going to for a minute buy the idea that in an unstable global economy we should go on a spending binge of $150 billion paid for by cutting benefits, by raising taxes and running deficits," he said during a question and answer session with reporters. "Canadians are not going to buy that."

In contrast, the Conservative economic platform offers a "stable economic plan" with modest investments, balanced budgets and tax cuts, Harper said.

Stephen Harper says Trudeau will overspend while he will be a prudent manager of taxpayers' money

9 years ago

Duration 2:06

Harper is asked about Progressive Conservatives voting Liberal and Toronto transit plans but answers that the Liberals won't manage the economy and he will

His appearance in theriding ofEtobicoke-Lakeshore was significant. It's where former Liberal leader MichaelIgnatieffinfamously lost his seat in the 2011 campaign to Conservative BernardTrottier.

But with the Liberals reinvigorated underTrudeau, Harper finds himself on the defensive in the riding and will choose another point of differentiation between his party and what's at stake if the Liberals form government.

Mulcair in Oshawa

All threemajor party leaders were to makestops in Toronto and elsewhere in vote-rich Ontario on Tuesday.

Tom Mulcair on working with other parties

9 years ago

Duration 1:22

Mulcair says the NDP is the party that can bring change to Canada and work with other parties at the same time.

Mulcairstartedthe day inOshawa, where he warned party faithful about the impact of the recently signed Trans-Pacific Partnership on the manufacturing sector and the broader economy.

The trade deal will cost the citysome 1,200 manufacturing jobs, saidMulcair,who criticized what he described as Harper's over-emphasis on the oil and gas sector.

"Stephen Harper put all his eggs in one basket and then he dropped the basket," he said.

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With the marathon campaign in its final days and the possibility of a minority government on the horizon, the party leaders faced questions about whether they would co-operate with each other in Parliament.

Mulcairsaid he would work with the other partiesbut repeated his claim that Trudeau has rebuffed offers of co-operation from the NDP, and that the Liberal leaderappears to have a problem with Mulcair in particular.

Mulcair said he would not let personal feelings get in the way.

Asked if he has refused to discuss co-operation with Mulcair, Trudeau appeared to side-step the question, and instead took aim at the NDP leader's tax policies.

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