Stephen Harper says Torontonians concerned about the economy should back his party on May 2, in an exclusive interview with CTV Toronto's Ken Shaw.
Harper said he remains focused on guiding the country through the recent global economic maelstrom and would get back to business as soon as the election is over.
"The government has been leading Canada through the biggest global financial crisis since the Second World War. Canada is coming out in a strong position and we have the next phase of that Economic Action Plan we are trying to pass," Harper said in a sit-down interview from Brampton, Ont.
"The country has to make a decision. Do we want to move forward with a low-tax agenda, sticking on our deficit reduction target and keeping the economy going or do we want to go off on a high-tax agenda, unlimited spending and a ramshackle arrangement or coalition, whatever you want to call it."
Harper has continually warned Canadians that a coalition agreement between the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois was in the works, and that the only way to stop it is to elect a majority Conservative government.
Harper said Ignatieff's intentions were clear, despite Ignatieff promising explicitly that he would not form a coalition of any kind.
"We need a strong majority, stable Conservative government to carry us through this recovery," Harper said. "If we don't have that we are going to have a Liberal government backed by the NDP and Bloc Quebecois running this country. I think that is extremely dangerous."
But Harper was forced to defend his own history with the Bloc Quebecois, after Leader Gilles Duceppe accused him of conspiring similar plans in 2004.
Duceppe produced a letter in which Harper urged then-Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson to consider allowing a "co-operative effort" between the Conservatives, NDP and Bloc if then-prime minister Paul Martin attempted to dissolve Parliament.
Harper dismissed Duceppe's allegations as a rewrite to history on Sunday, saying that the context was different in 2004 and the word "coalition" was never used. He said Martin was threatening to force another election just months after the Liberals had been reduced to a minority.
"Obviously I didn't do the same thing. I am the prime minister because in two elections we won the most seats," Harper told CTV Toronto.
"Had the Governor General asked me, my position would have been very simple. There is not an issue of confidence here. We are not trying to bring the government down. These are small matters and we think we can work a compromise."
In the end, no vote was called and the Conservatives formed a minority government in the 2006 election.
