Stephane Dion defended himself Thursday against questions swirling about his leadership of the Liberal Party.
Several high profile Quebec Liberals have raised doubts over the past week about Dion's tenure at the helm of the party. But Dion said the criticism is only stirring up negative headlines about the party.
Flanked by supporters, Dion told reporters and his party, "With discipline we will win."
Dion said he wants the party to focus on Stephen Harper's Conservatives, not internecine feuding.
"I'm the leader, and I don't want any more indiscipline," Dion said following a meeting of his Quebec wing executive.
As Dion was delivering his message calling for the party to come together, Deputy Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff sent off a press release adamantly denying a Montreal newspaper report alleging he said publicly that he is looking forward to Dion's departure.
"The statement directly attributed to me in this morning's La Presse is entirely false," Ignatieff said in the statement.
"No one has the right to call my loyalty into question."
Dion backed up his former rival for the party leadership, who he said is furious at the accusation of disloyalty.
"He's worked very well with me, and I'm happy to have him as deputy leader," Dion said.
Dion has come under fire recently from party members such as Liberal Quebec wing vice-president Steven Pinkus and former Liberal cabinet minister Liza Frulla. Frulla has said Dion has "no instinct" about problems in the party and Pinkus said Liberal results in a potential spring election "wouldn't be pretty." Pinkus also told CTV's Mike Duffy Live earlier this week that the party is losing good potential candidates because it has been slow to move on their nominations.
"We have a whole lot of work to do in Quebec, we know that," Dion said Thursday.
With files from The Canadian Press
