Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is shrugging off remarks the primer minister made at a barbecue hosted at the Toronto mayor's family home, saying he isn't offended Stephen Harper called for his defeat in the upcoming fall election.
McGuinty, who is seeking a third term as premier, says it's no a secret he and Harper don't share the same vision but that hasn't deterred him from standing up for the province.
The premier's comments come after Harper made an unannounced visit on Tuesday at Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's family home in Etobicoke. The event, billed as a barbecue to celebrate Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's efforts during the May 2 federal election, was attended by conservative supporters, volunteers and staffers.
Harper's remarks were videotaped and uploaded to YouTube.
In his speech, he said both he and Ford are each cleaning up a "left-wing mess." Harper also said that with the provincial elections just a few weeks away, it was time for the Ontario Tories to complete a "hat trick" and defeat McGuinty.
Despite the premier's resolve, early polls show that the Ontario Liberals are lagging behind Tim Hudak's Conservative party.
With files from The Canadina Press.
