Liberal Leader Stephane Dion dismissed published reports about dissent within his party Tuesday and was given a boost by former leadership rival Bob Rae.
"I'm tremendously proud of our leader Stephane Dion ... I'm tremendously proud of the campaign we are running," Rae said during a campaign stop in Halifax, where the Liberals announced a $900-million plan to cover expensive prescription drugs.
Rae also fired a salvo at the Conservatives' trust factor and accused Stephen Harper, who has said he only expects to win a minority government, of misleading voters.
"You are trying to dupe Canadians into giving you a majority government. You are in for a surprise, Mr. Harper -- we are going to defeat you and send you on your way," he said.
Rae wasn't the only high profile Liberal stepping out in support of Dion, who has failed to capture the imagination of Canadian voters with his Green Shift plan as the campaign barrels through its second week.
"Stephane Dion has performed very solidly every day," MP Scott Brison, another former leadership rival, told Â鶹´«Ã½ on Tuesday.
"There have been no gaffes from Stephane Dion."
Though prominent Liberals like Rae and Michael Ignatieff -- who is also expected to give Dion a public boost -- are rushing to defend their boss, some insiders blame Dion's autocratic style for a disappointing start to the campaign.
Others tell Â鶹´«Ã½ that Dion has spent too much air-time talking about his confusing carbon tax plan.
Some national polls have given the Conservatives a double-digit lead over the Liberals.
Still, Dion shrugged off the attacks, saying he didn't have "time" to worry about nameless attackers.
"When I did the Clarity Act, I had a lot of anonymous sources against me," he said at a campaign stop in Halifax.
"When I saved the Kyoto Protocol, I had a lot of anonymous sources against me."
However, with a confusing platform, some Liberals fear their party is headed for a historic loss.
If that happens, they say the blame will fall directly at the feet of Dion and his closest advisors.
In the meantime, however, Liberal insiders tell Â鶹´«Ã½ the party will continue to hammer away at the Conservatives' trust factor.
They also say the party is working towards the televised leaders' debates, where they hope Dion can deliver an impressive performance that will put his party back in the running.
With a report by CTV's Robert Fife
