Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says a leaked video of a closed-door Tory rally shows that Stephen Harper is a right-wing partisan who wants to crush his political rivals and keep dissenting opinions out of Canada's courts.
Ignatieff said the prime minister is a two-faced politician who doesn't respect Canada's social institutions and only shows his true colours when he thinks nobody is watching.
"There have always been two Harpers," Ignatieff said on Thursday, a day after the video was leaked to the media.
"The real Harper always comes out when he thinks he can't be heard."
In the video, shot last week during a fiery campaign-style speech to a group of Tory faithful, Harper says that over four years, his government has managed to keep "left-wing ideologues" from becoming powerful judges.
Additionally, Harper talks about ending the Court Challenges Program, which he said gave "left-wing fringe groups" a legal platform. He also says the government will try to ice the federal Gun Registry for good.
Finally, Harper states that the next election offers Canadians two simple choices: a Conservative government or a Liberal government propped up by the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois.
"Let me be clear about this: We need to win a majority in the next election campaign," says Harper.
"I am not just saying that because we need a few more seats. We saw what happened last year. Do not be fooled for a moment. If we do not get a majority, the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc will combine and they will form a government."
Responding to the call for a strong Conservative mandate, Ignatieff said many Canadians would scoff at the prospect of a Harper majority.
The Liberal leader also spoke about his plans to pull down the government through a non-confidence vote this fall, which he says reflects the will of Parliament.
"(Harper's) already lost the confidence of the House once," Ignatieff said, referring to the political wrangling which nearly brought down the government last December. "He's about to lose it a second time."
The other parties respond
The NDP said that Harper's words represent low-ball politics which undermine Canada's independent judiciary.
The Bloc echoed those sentiments and said that Harper sounds like an extreme member of the U.S. Republican party.
However, as the opposition parties attacked the government on Thursday, inspection of the speech shows that many of the points are part of the Tory playbook.
Harper has endeavored to keep some of his party's political points out of the spotlight by concentrating on more centrist policies.
The strategy has been an attempt to prevent red Tories and NDP supporters from jumping to the Grits, which would block a Conservative majority.
