Mon Oct. 13 2008 5:04:37 PM
Dion visits CP24, calls Harper a 'quitter'
The Canadian Press
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion makes a point with Ann Rohmer on CP24 Sunday Oct.12, 2008. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion at CP24.(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld) |
Win or lose, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion says he's not going anywhere after Tuesday's election.
"I will never quit. I will stay for my country," Dion said Sunday during a last swing through southeastern Ontario before flying off on a frenetic coast-to-coast tarmac tour ahead of Tuesday's vote.
"But I'm working hard now. We're working all of us for a victory, for a progressive government. This is what is at stake."
When pressed on how he would respond if Liberal rivals push to remove him, a chippy Dion raised his voice.
"I'm the leader! I am the leader. And I'm working to win. I'm not a quitter."
It was a label Dion slapped on Prime Minister Stephen Harper early Thanksgiving Sunday in a previous TV interview.
"Yeah, well, he's a quitter. I'm not," Dion said. "I will fight for my country. I love Canada."
He made the remarks when asked about an interview during which Harper said that both he and Dion will lose their jobs unless they win Tuesday.
"I think it's inevitable that the party that loses this election will be looking for a new leader," Harper told Sun Media.
Dion's strident tone may raise eyebrows in Liberal circles where private reaction to his campaign performance has typically ranged from tepid praise to hand wringing. Dion, a political scientist and former professor of public administration, has a reputation for tenacity and a mile-wide stubborn streak.
He is set to face a Liberal party leadership review next spring.
Despite a strong performance in the leaders' debates, Liberal support is well off historic highs and continues to trail the Conservatives. Dion has struggled to sell his Green Shift plan to tax pollution in return for income tax breaks.
His halting English, which has improved over the last five weeks, has not helped.
Dion was borderline combative when asked by two separate television interviewers Sunday about what appears to be a strengthening of Tory support as the election clock winds down.
"Come on! Do you believe in polls?" he asked Ann Rohmer, host of a call-in TV show on Toronto's CP 24.
"They're like tides. They come and they go," he said, using one of his favoured catch phrases.
"Come on!" he again said to Jane Taber, co-host of CTV's Question Period during a pre-taped response to a similar question.
Dion argued there's a much more pressing issue at hand than whether he is destined to stay at the Liberal helm.
"The pressure we have today is to elect a progressive government and to make sure that we'll not only stop Stephen Harper but we will replace him. And this will not happen if we do not pull our vote out together.
"I think I have shown through this election how much I will change not only the orientation of this country, but the tone. I'm here answering every question. Where is Mr. Harper?"
The last remark was a swipe at the prime minister who is not scheduled to speak again with reporters on his campaign tour until after the election.
Harper has lowered the democratic bar and been a more secretive leader than Canada has ever seen, Dion charged.
After a central Ontario tour jam-packed with local interviews and minglers -- including some in ridings already considered Liberal bastions -- Dion heads Sunday night to Fredericton.
Asked why the leader would troll for support in so-called safe zones, one candidate said it's part of a strategy to show appreciation for vital party troops who are heavily relied on to get the Liberal vote out Tuesday.
Plans to spend the last day of campaigning in the Montreal area were suddenly nixed for a coast-to-coast marathon that schedules Dion to arrive back in his Quebec riding of Saint-Laurent--Cartierville on a red-eye flight.
It's reminiscent of a similar cross-country dash that helped former prime minister Paul Martin turn a rocky campaign into a minority victory.
Dion plans to make three or four stops en route to Vancouver where he'll spend Monday night before flying back to vote.
There will be little left to do after that but watch the results roll in.
Watch comprehensive election night coverage on CP24 and CP24.COM.
We'll have more local coverage than anyone else and the fastest, most up-to-date election results, starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday.
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Comments are now closed for this story
October 12, 2008 at 9:12:46 AM
Dan
High energy costs contributed significantly to the global financial melt down that we are now experiencing. While Mr. Dion is going to give tax credit to low income households, have they calculated how much prices will rise in response to the carbon tax (food, clothing, heating, gas and so on). Won't the carbon tax put us right back at the point were small businesses are failing and the private sector is contracting? I don't understand how any tax increase could ever help Canadians.
October 12, 2008 at 3:12:28 PM
SJ
It's pretty simple. The tax cuts are not JUST for low income families. Its for everyone. The tax cuts will affect people and businesses alike. Helping to get people to clean up their act to save even more, while giving them the tax break they need to stay alive and grow.
Sounds like a good plan to me.
October 12, 2008 at 3:17:52 PM
Greg
If Dion becomes Prime Minister we are doomed. I agree with Dan 100%
October 12, 2008 at 3:27:42 PM
John
The Conservatives did a great job to keep Canada as safe as possible from the current financial disasters in the world today. Mr. Harper lowered our income taxes and lowered our GST. No one could have done a better job. I do like the Greens' ideas and hope Mr. Harper considers implementing some of them.
October 12, 2008 at 5:46:29 PM
Justin
"Win or lose, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion says he's not going anywhere after Tuesday's election."
which begs the question, what's the point of this election. will anything change? course not. So many elections, so little time for the party to do anything
October 12, 2008 at 5:58:03 PM
Neo
He calls Steve Harper a quitter? So, does that mean that we should call him ignorant? "What would you do if you were the leader"....."Can we start this again..." Case and point
October 12, 2008 at 7:33:00 PM
BillHubble
Dion...your done like dinner,,,your deputy is going to end your term as leader
October 13, 2008 at 12:33:29 AM
Dylan
Dan, you don't understand because you don't WANT to. This is not a tax increase but a re-allocation of tax sources that will reward Canadians who make environmentally friendly choices. There is a climate crisis happening right now and it is selfish to pretend otherwise.
October 13, 2008 at 12:21:36 PM
Mike .
I believe Dian answered the comments made by "Dan". He says taxes will for the polluters not for average family that are not considered a polluter. In terms of increasing taxes unfortunately we as Canadian should not be so shallow minded to give Harper credit for the 2 present lowering GST which for average family it means some amount like 100 dollar “max” but given huge Cheques to big corporation from the same pocket by his government . Unfortunately average people they don’t look at the budget of the country as a whole . If Harper is genuine why not he tell the Canadian that what is the deficit standing at the moment for the country and how much money left in the budget .Please try to see a bigger picture not just this moment and adding 100 dollar to you pocket or subtracting that will not going to do any differences for your family , what makes a different is we work on the environmental issues of our society and make sure Canadian’s environment is saved. In terms of economy Harper conservatives never been a good money mangers . If you don’t believe me just look back to previous recession when Mulroney was the Prim-minister. They created such disaster that no body could believe it. Only liberals they came to the power after wards and changed the economy back on the rail .PLEASE AlSO BARE IN MIND when they handed over the Budget to Conservatives in last election there was lots of money and deficit was under control and economy was great. I think the only option for today’s economy to vote for liberals. I see lots of good things in Dian who only speaks his mind trustfully and has no hidden agendas. He is a great man in person and he will be much better Prim-Minster for the Canada in this economically sensitive time and will save the Canada.
October 13, 2008 at 2:51:02 PM
Will
Umm.. Dion is a little mistaken here.
Yeah sure, he's going to lower taxes on regular joes.
But think of it this way, bring on the carbon tax. Companies that are affected by it WILL increase their prices to compensate. In the end, it won't matter who is taxed, we all will feel the pain