BRAMPTON, Ont. - The last youth charged in Canada's largest anti-terrorism operation since Sept. 11 so impressed alleged ringleaders with his determination, his shoplifting abilities and his wood-chopping skills, he was considered a good candidate to behead the prime minister, police wiretaps played in court Wednesday suggest.

The conversations between a police informant and the alleged ringleaders of a homegrown terrorist plot to attack Canadian targets -- the central feature of which was talk of a plan to storm Parliament Hill -- were recorded during a trip to northern Ontario in February 2006.

On the tapes, one of the alleged ringleaders discusses plans for a group to go to Ottawa and "cut off some heads.'' When another alleged conspirator asks what's planned for Parliament Hill, the same man replies: "We go and kill everybody.''

"And then what?'' asks one.

"We get victory,'' comes the reply.

After a stop at a Tim Hortons, the group debates the identity of the sitting prime minister, first mentioning Paul Martin _ jokingly referring to him as "Paul Loser'' -- before confirming Stephen Harper as "that other guy.'' Talk then turns to the best candidate for the job, and one man mentions the 20-year-old youth currently on trial.

"I know he'd cut off their heads,'' one says.

"Did you see him, how he was cutting the wood, man?'' adds another.

The men on the tape were also impressed with the young man's determination and his success in shoplifting supplies.

The youth's case is the first to go to trial after he was charged two years ago along with 17 others in connection with an alleged plot to attack power grids, Canada's spy agency, the CBC, the RCMP and a nuclear power plant.

The wiretaps, along with the anticipated testimony next week of police informant Mubin Shaikh, make up the bulk of the Crown's case against the accused, who cannot be named since he was underage at the time of his arrest.

Hours of conversations were taped by police during a trip which the Crown maintains was intended to scout out properties in the remote community of Opasatika, Ont., some 900 kilometres north of Toronto.

The conversations range from the mundane -- discussions about the group's dwindling tuna supply, for instance -- to the salacious, with talk of using guns and grenades to target Canada.

The voices on the tape fret about raising enough money -- because "we can't do jihad without money'' -- and getting "wives'' for the "brothers,'' which the Crown alleges is a euphemism for weaponry.

The recordings also include a "chant'' listened to by the group, which sings about being "ready to serve you my Islam'' and "I offer you from the veins of my blood.''

"That chant pumps me up at any given time, man,'' one of the alleged ringleaders is heard to say.

The tapes also make reference to "round two,'' which Crown lawyer Marco Mendocino alleged was a plan for a second training camp, and the need for "chocolate'' -- what Mendocino described as a euphemism for an "explosive compound.''

"The law of intelligence says . . . shrapnel flies and it hurts you when it hits you,'' says a voice on the tape.

One of the alleged conspirators talks of successfully building a "radio frequency remote control detonator.'' The only problem, the man said, is that you have to stay "30 feet away.''

"So you have to get blown up,'' one of the alleged ringleaders said.

"Yeah,'' he replied. "Well, it's a step forward.''

The group also discusses turning a secluded northern Ontario property into a "covert'' training base, complete with tunnels for moving supplies and snowmobiles to practice with "AKs'' -- presumably a reference to AK-47 automatic rifles.

The group would have to build a tunnel -- or even get rid of their nearest neighbours -- to keep the location secure, some of the men suggest.

The work ethic of the youth on trial would make him a determined digger, even if he had to tunnel with a fork, several of the men concluded.

"Just like Shawshank Redemption thing,'' said one of the alleged conspirators, referring to the movie which featured a prison break through a home-made tunnel. "I know he'd do it in a day, man.''

Eighteen men and youth were arrested two years ago in a highly-publicized anti-terrorism operation. Defence lawyers have since questioned the strength of the case after charges against seven of the accused men were stayed, whittling the so-called Toronto 18 down to 11.

Before the tapes were played Tuesday, defence lawyer Mitchell Chernovsky, who on Friday called the alleged terror plot a "fantasy,'' told the court his client is not a "featured speaker'' in many of the wiretaps.

The trial continues Thursday.