OTTAWA—With just days to go before the federal election, the Conservatives are taking dead aim at Justin Trudeau and his resurgent Liberals.
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper focused his attacks on Trudeau’s economic plans, saying they will cost jobs and mean higher taxes.
Meanwhile, ads in Chinese and Punjabi media have attacked Trudeau on the issues of marijuana and prostitution, hinting that the Liberals would allow brothels in people’s neighbourhoods.
The Liberals have not said they would legalize prostitution. The Conservatives say they’re simply raising questions of values. They are also trying to shore up Conservative support among the ethnic communities they have successfully wooed for years.
The previous day, Harper literally put cash on the table in an effort to halt the momentum of the Liberals.
Twice recently, the Conservatives have staged low-tech stunts designed to illustrate how much they say Liberal tax changes will cost voters as Harper attempts to pick apart the Liberal platform.
Harper played the role of game show host again Tuesday, Oct. 13, at a partisan rally in west-end Toronto, calling out Liberal tax increases as a pizza store owner counted bills onto a table to the backdrop of a loudly ringing cash register.
“The tax hikes the Liberals talk about, they are not just numbers in a pamphlet,” said Harper, without jacket or tie and with his blue shirt sleeves rolled up.
“They are real dollars and I want to show you again today what the payroll tax hikes look like.”
Conservative party videographers took tight shots as pizza store owner Dino Ari laid bills on a table to repeated “ka-chings” from a cash register.
“Hand it over, Dino,” Harper said. “I hope you counted that carefully.”
