Canada needs a strong conservative majority to protect trade relations with the United States, Stephen Harper said Thursday, adding that an agreement of border security with the neighbour to the South of the country is also at risk.
The Conservative leader said that without a Conservative Government: "the vision of the border would be dead."
The border agreement signed earlier this year by Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama was intended to support security at the border while foster trade and economic growth between the two countries.
"One in five jobs in the Canada is tied to trade with the United States," said Harper, who was in Niagara Falls, to talk about the importance of international trade with the United States and its commitment to the signing of new trade agreements.
The deal "will help to reinforce and strengthen our trade relations to complement the economic recovery and create jobs."
But the Union representing customs and immigration officers breakdown Harper Thursday, saying that it has closed the local centres of intelligence, points border land of entry and reduced opening hours.
"The Harper Government has previously prioritized effective border security in the course of the bureaucratic indifference, that is why their counterproductive acceptance of these decisions is so disturbing," Customs and Immigration Union said in a statement.
"I hope that this leadership will be once more demonstrated in concrete actions and not words;" This is what Canadians deserve.
The Conservative leader has also used his liberal message distance once more his party from the NDP, saying that his opposition to foreign trade agreements is "ideological" and his point of view "have not changed since the cold war."
"The NDP opposed every trade agreement that we signed" said Harper.
Harper moves his message of the campaign to focus the attack on "a coalition of opposition led by the NDP."
Until now, Harper has spent the campaign pitching its curators as an alternative to a coalition of the opposition Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff-led parties.
Harper continues to highlight the message that the Canada is in need of a strong majority, but surge to campaign for the end of the NDP in the polls apparently forced Harper to change its main target.
Harper said the choice is between a conservative majority government and a Parliament led to the minority, which he said would raise taxes and spending.
"It would be this huge step backwards, and Canadians must understand how radically different choices are really when you are looking to two parliaments, with a conservative majority, the other a minority Parliament with a rickety coalition, led by the NDP which will not last."", but that will do many things of destruction" said harper.
Harper also criticized plan of the NDP for a system of limits and Exchange, stating that their proposal would hike to the rising prices at the gas pump
"The NDP proposes 20 billion dollars in carbon taxes," he said. "It is at least 10 cents per litre gasoline and many other big increases in consumption".
Harper appeared to be referring to the figures cited by the economist Jack Mintz, who tweeted Thursday a ""NDP CAP and Exchange at $40 per tonne of carbon will be a 10 cents go hiking in the gasoline tax. ""
Mintz is found by his calculations after a history of Globe and Mail said later that his characters were based on the erroneous assumption that the NDP would include fossil fuels using consumers.
"Cap- and -Exchange on the refining will certainly increase the price of gas." Let's get realistic, "tweeted Mintz."
During this time, Layton shot back that gas companies are undue Canadian and that Harper has done nothing to stop it.
It suggested to toughen up laws on competition and establishing a special mediator to put pressure on oil companies.
"We want to start with competition law," said Layton. "It is what we first of all because it is not used correctly." Mr. Harper has clearly no desire to go after the oil companies. "He is too busy giving them subsidies."
NDP leader, Jack Layton poses with Jacq Brewer at a stop of the campaign in Yellowknife Thursday (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)Recent public opinion polls have shown that the Conservatives and the Liberals are all two losing support to the NDP.
The NDP has moved into second place in most national polls behind the conservatives.
That change also caused the Liberals aim their criticism more marked in the NDP.
Even former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien used his speech on Wednesday to take a jab at the NDP.
"And I checked the program of the NDP," said the former Prime Minister.
"Nobody had read until a few days ago.". Apparently this is not adding up. ?
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