MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is touting a "strong record" of legislative achievement just days after raising the spectre of a fall election by calling Parliament dysfunctional.
In an address to the party faithful that bore all the hallmarks of an election-style stump speech, Harper boasted about the gains his minority government has made while chastising Liberal Leader Stephane Dion for, time and again, failing to force an election.
"Well the next election has not been scheduled until October 2009 and, who knows, Mr. Dion may want to wait even longer than that," Harper told some 400 supporters.
"This really has become quite a soap opera."
Although Harper didn't go so far as to suggest an election was in the offing before fall 2009, most of the roughly half-hour speech read like a pitch for support in vote-rich Ontario - where he's embarked on a two-day blitz of four cities for a string of announcements and speeches.
The prime minister listed legislation passed, in spite of what he characterized as opposition posturing, alongside infrastructure projects for the Greater Toronto Area as examples of his Conservative government's progress.
"We have established a strong record of achievement over the past 2 1/2 years," he said.
Last week, Harper labelled Parliament "dysfunctional" and warned he would "have to make a judgment in the next little while" on whether it's worth continuing.
Despite those words, Parliament has proved a productive place since the current session began a year ago this fall. By June, no fewer than 29 bills had received royal assent and become law.
Harper's speech Monday took repeated jabs at the Opposition, highlighting each occasion in which it failed to topple his government.
"The first thing (Dion) did, the first words out of his mouth (after becoming Liberal leader in 2006) were to threaten to force an election," Harper said.
"About three weeks ago I finally told Mr. Dion... that it was time to fish or cut bait. So instead of making a decision he actually went fishing."
Seemingly referring to the dysfunctional Parliament remark made last week in Newfoundland, Harper said "I reminded them of this last week."
Harper's two-day tour of southern Ontario will take him to Hamilton, London and Kitchener on Tuesday.
