The Liberal and NDP party leaders renewed their attacks on the Conservatives' economic record Friday, urging Canadians to vote for a change in Ottawa. But Conservative Leader Stephen Harper deflected the barbs, warning that a non-Tory government could "wreck" the economy.
At separate rallies Friday, both Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair criticized Harper's record on job creation and growth.
They gave their remarks hours after the first leaders' debate, which most analysts agreed lacked a clear winner.
Trudeau: 'The real risk is sticking with the status quo'
In the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, Trudeau told the crowd that he was determined to win the October election and help usher in a new Liberal government.
"People want change because Stephen Harper's economic plan isn't working for them," he said.
He derided Harper's "stay the course" message, noting that the "real risk is sticking with the status quo."
Trudeau also attacked Mulcair, accusing him of peddling "false hope." He criticized the NDP promise to raise the "national minimum wage" to $15 an hour, which he pointed out will only affect workers in federally-regulated industries.
"That's places like airlines and banks," Trudeau said, stressing that the vast majority of minimum-wage workers in Canada won't be affected by the NDP promise.
Trudeau also criticized Harper and Mulcair for their pledge to continue sending child care benefit cheques to all families with children, including millionaires. By contrast, the Liberals will increase taxes on the wealthiest Canadians, while giving middle-class Canadians a tax break, he said.
During the rally, Trudeau took a moment to address the Conservative attack ads that question his readiness to lead the country.
"There were a lot of people last night who tuned in, who've only seen the image that Stephen Harper has spent millions and millions of dollars in attack ads to try and put in their heads," he said. "I know what they were thinking... 'His hair's not that nice.'"
Mulcair: Tories have no plan
Also speaking in Toronto, Mulcair noted that, during Thursday's debate, Harper seemed to admit to something that Canadian families "have known for months."
"His economic plan is not working, and because of that Canada is in another recession," Mulcair said, adding that the worst part is that Harper "doesn't have a plan to fix" the troubled economy.
On Friday, Mulcair was relishing Harper鈥檚 remarks, saying he achieved what he set out to do in the debate.
鈥淲e are now -- Mr. Harper finally admitted it last night -- in a second recession on his watch,鈥� he said at a news conference.
But Harper, who on Thursday said he wasn鈥檛 denying the bleak outlook on the Canadian economy, backpedalled away from those remarks Friday.
鈥淓ighty per cent of the Canadian economy is healthy and growing,鈥� Harper told reporters. 鈥淲e have a contraction in the energy sector that everybody knows is because of low oil prices.鈥�
Mulcair said Canadians are looking for change this election, and the NDP is the party that can deliver it, having already succeeded in Quebec during the 2011 federal election, and during the recent Alberta provincial election.
He defended his plan to raise the national minimum wage, noting that approximately 100,000 low-wage workers will get an income boost with the NDP plan. Under the Conservative and Liberal plans, "no one gets a raise," he said.
"In this election campaign, it's the NDP that has the experience to defeat Stephen Harper and the plan to repair the damage that he's done," Mulcair said.
And though Mulcair said he was 鈥渢hrilled鈥� with how the debate went, some critics noted Mulcair鈥檚 unusually reserved demeanor.
"Tom Mulcair came into this debate as a front runner, which is a strange place for an NDP leader to be,鈥� political scientist Antonia Maioni told CTV New Friday. 鈥淏ut what we saw was not the Tom Mulcair most of us know. Instead of Angry Tom, we got Dozy Tom.鈥�
Harper: NDP are 'dangerous' on economic issues
Speaking later in Richmond Hill, Ont., Harper defended his party鈥檚 economic plan as the best way to weather the current economic downturn.
"We have a contraction in the energy sector that everybody knows is because of low oil prices. The question is, what do you do?" he said, urging Canadians to stick to the Tory "low-tax" plan.
He accused his opponents of proposing fiscally irresponsible policies, particularly the NDP.
"The bottom line is Thomas Mulcair and the NDP are dangerous on economic issues," he said, adding that it was an NDP provincial government that "wrecked" Ontario's economy during the 1990s.
The Tory leader also warned that Trudeau and Mulcair would "undo" much of the work Conservatives have done to bring benefits to Canadian families, namely the universal child care benefit.
He said Trudeau's plans to instead increase taxes on high-income earners in order to give middle-class families a tax break "don't add up."
On the other hand, the NDP plan of $15-a-day daycare will be a "one-size fits all," "massively expensive" scheme that will benefit only a small number of families, Harper said.
"It can only be paid for, at least in part, by taking away the benefits that our Conservative government now provides," he said. "Canadians don't want that and Canadians cannot afford those kinds of policies."
