Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 10, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba m y k Page a6 Dionys English do Over draws scorn from pm Ottawa prime minister Stephen Harper and his Campaign team Are seizing on a botched English language interview Given by Stephane Dion claiming it proves the Liberal Leader Isnit up to coping with the country is economic problems. The liberals retorted thursday night that Harper is taking a cheap shot at a Man who has readily admitted his English Isnit perfect and that he has a hearing problem to Boot. The controversy erupted Over a televised interview with ctr in Halifax in which Dion interrupted local Anchor Steve Murphy to say he did not understand his opening question and asked if they could Start Over. It took another two false starts before the interview finally proceeded on the next try and the conservatives were Quick to jump on the incident. When you re running a trillion Anda half Dollar Economy you dont get a Chance to have do overs Over and Over again Harper told reporters at a Campaign Stop in Winnipeg. He contended that the stumble by Dion on a question dealing with the Economy clearly showed that Dion has no plan for dealing with the global credit crisis that is sides wiping Canada. When a francophone reporter asked if the problem a snot Dionys imperfect English Harper replied i dont think this is a question of language at All. It was very Clear it was asked repeatedly. Whats important in the end is that after All the times the question was put the answer was from or. Dion that he does not have a plan that if he was elected he would spend 30 Days trying to create one. Dion has been saying for the last week that if he becomes prime minister he will undertake a 30 Day action plan that includes consultations with Federal regulators private sector economists and the provincial premiers on the Best Way to cure the country is economic ills. Layton lashes Banks pm Sudbury ont. Nip Leader Jack Layton set his sights thursday on two of his Favourite targets big Banks and prime minister Stephen Harper. Corporate greed is at the Root of Why the country is big Banks opted not to fully match the Bank of Canadas Hal Point rate Cut Layton charged. That reticence gave the governing conservatives a Golden Opportunity to do right by Ordinary families but they fumbled it he added. Despite the Central Banks move to stimulate the Economy the chartered Banks decided to go with just a Quarter Point Cut. We Are tired of that kind of greed he told about 100 supporters at a Campaign event. We believe that its time for a government that stands up for Ordinary canadians in the face of Banks who behave that Way. Layton accused finance minister Jim Flaherty of Balking when Given the Opportunity to set things right by demanding that Banks pass on All the interest savings to their customers. Its a failure of leadership on or. Harpers part that he a snot insisted that this happen Layton said after the rally. Advance votes plummet the number of Manitoban who voted in the Advance polls plummeted More than 18 per cent elections Canada reports the Federal election Agency yes estimates of voter turnout at Advance polls show 35,607 Manitoban voted already Down from 43,433 in 2006. It May not Bode Well for voter turnout Overall on oct. 14. Nationally voter turnout at the Advance polls was Down 6.5 per cent with 1,459,253 people casting ballots already. In 2006, 1,561,039 people turned out at the Advance polls. Advance poll turnout was better this time in Only Quebec and the Yukon. More than 61,000 additional voters cast ballots in the Advance polls in Quebec a jump of Over 16 per cent compared to 2006. Quotes of the Day Ive said from the outset that i believe this is a close election that can go either Way. Conservative Leader Stephen Harper when asked to comment on his part yes slip in the polls i would not recommend this plan for canadians in this election if i thought that it would be not Good for any province of my country. I love every province in my country. Liberal Leader Stephane Dion campaigning in Halifax where he spoke about his part yes proposed Green shift plan i see you re still making up your mind. Nip Leader Jack Layton after bumping into a Man wearing a Liberal Button at an Ontario Campaign Stop from the news services a 6 Winnipeg repress. Com election 2008 Winnipeg free press Friday october 10, 2008 f rom a sweater Vest and a pleasant smile to a dark business suit and a steely Grimace Stephen Harper has certainly come a Long Way. When the Campaign opened Harper was in Richmond b. C., for a meticulously planned photo Opportunity featuring a chinese Canadian family. The efficiency and attention to detail were impressive if not a bit Creepy. The conservatives seemed so on top of their game. The liberals meanwhile and their Leader Stephane Dion appeared to be entirely Over matched. The tories were extending their Lead in the polls and the liberals were already fending off speculation they would fall behind the nip. Fast Forward to thursday in Winnipeg and a Harper rally at a Polo Park hotel. The prime minister and his handlers were still masterful. More than 300 supporters were packed into a hotel ballroom All by invitation Only. No hecklers or dissidents allowed. The prime minister was Crisp funny and his timing was impeccable. And yet there were squirm worthy moments during the speech. Given All that has happened Over the last week harpers main Campaign theme that the underlying strength of the Economy will save us is just not that convincing. The Economy is not As bad As everyone thinks Harper said in a refrain that has become the focus of his Campaign in the past week. Were not As bad off As the United states. We will be the Only g 8 country to escape recession. In the same breath however Harper wants you to know things Are bad enough you dont want to change governments and you certainly dont want that reckless intellectual Dion and his free spending liberals running the country. This is a Subtle but important Point Harper is trying to make things Arentt that bad but it would be risky to let someone else run the country. Unfortunately by this Point in the Campaign we can conclude the subtleties of harpers message is lost on a portion of the electorate. The tories have been in a steady decline in opinion polls. After opening leads of As much As 15 Points most polls have the tories ahead by As few As three Points or about the margin of error in most surveys. How did the Man considered the Best to Lead the country bring himself Back to the pack bad timing and one bad turn of phrase. In the English language debates last week Harper had planned on ambushing Dion who had hammered the prime minister on the Economy the night before during the French language debates. Dion had unveiled a Surprise emergency economic action plan to Deal with the impending recession. Harper was going to Call his Bluff. What leaders have to do is have a plan and not panic Harper said. Last night Stephane you panicked. It was almost As if the moment he said the word panic thatus exactly what everyone did. He made things worse when he suggested canadians were worried but not about losing their jobs. You could hear the howls of the Laid off members of the Canadian Auto workers from Victoria to st. Johns. This is not a Case of the Canadian Public blaming Harper for an economic crisis that is beyond the control of any one politician. The tory tailspin was brought on by harpers attitude about the economic crisis. As prime minister he must defend the Economy As he must defend his own record. But while defending his record he was forced to downplay the crisis. Conservatives will scoff at this assertion but consider the fact that Harper is losing ground against a Man who was considered an unworthy opponent who is leading a party with a profoundly diminished Brand and reputation. What kind of race would it be if the liberals had someone who could match Harper Point for Point on leadership qualities no matter How you slice it this is a conservative party that could not shake an opponent that was described As the dead Man walking of the 2008 Federal election. This is not about the liberals picking up momentum this is about the tories giving ground. Harper May be right. Its not time to panic. But if you re a conservative its time to be very worried. Dan. Lett free press. My. pm has bad Case of bad timing Dan Lett p rime minister Stephen Harper rallied the faithful in Winnipeg on thursday night in a last ditch Cross country bid to woo More votes and win his conservative party a majority government. During a noisy Campaign rally at Canad inns Polo Park Harper repeated his mantra that Only his conservative government can guide Canada through Tough economic times. Even the nip government in Manitoba knows now is not the time for taxes that kill jobs Harper said in reference to Premier Gary doers opposition to Liberal Leader Stephane Dionys Green shift and Carbon tax plan. Vote to keep taxes Down not Jack them up he said to cheers from about 500 supporters holding signs in the background. The Stop was harpers second in the City during the fall Campaign and the last of the four National party leaders before voting Day this coming tuesday. The Federal Campaign for Harper now centres on vote Rich Southern Ontario and Quebec As he continues his Mission to win a majority government something thatus in doubt As the tories popularity dipped in the polls in the past few Days. In Winnipeg Harper told the crowd that Only his proven and prudent plan will Cushion the nation from the beating the worlds markets Are taking and a feared recession. In unstable times the country is on a stable course he said. He also reminded the audience that earlier in the Day the world economic forum said Canada is protected from the economic meltdown in the United states because it has the most stable banking system in the world. Earlier in the Day in Richmond b. C., Harper said he was disappointed the big five Banks had not passed on the Bank of Canadas half percentage Point interest rate Cut to Consumers but added he was confident it would come in the next few Days. In Winnipeg Harper repeated other platform planks of a conservative government Tough on violent youth crime supportive of the Canadian forces and its Mission in Afghanistan Mission and increased funding to health care such As a $ 10 million two year investment in the research and treatment of lung disease and $ 15 million for a four year study of illnesses like alzheimer res and Parkinson is diseases. He also said his government is committed to the environment As it is to reducing crime. Canadians know if you want a government thatus Tough on environmental crime you choose a government thatus Tough on crime period he said. Speaking in Halifax thursday Dion said Harper had no plan to Deal with the global crisis. He also said Canadas Banks were so Strong in the face of the global financial turmoil because of decisions by the Liberal government of Jean Chretien which resisted Calls for unwise deregulation. With files from Canadian press Bruce. Owen free press. My. were your Best Hope Harper says tories Only ones to Lead us in Tough times by Bruce Owen Vancouver Laureen Harper does not much like the Way the Media covers her Hubby is events. The pms wife paid a Low key visit to conservative candidate Lorne Mayen courts Vancouver Campaign office thursday to thank party volunteers. Chatting with workers and Public safety minister Stockwell Day she complained that to news never reflects the level of support and enthusiasm shown at Campaign events. We had hundreds of people on the Tarmac we had a great rally in Quebec she said. The Media they will stand in front of the crowd going crazy. Canadian press mrs. Harper not too Happy with Media election Roundup englis Elero Tom Hanson / Canadian press Stephen Harper rallies supporters at a Campaign Stop in Winnipeg thursday in last ditch Effort to win his party a majority government. Adrian Wyld / the Canadian press Stephane Dion arrives in Montreal for evening rally in Laval. A 06_ oct 10 08. 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