MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Justin Trudeau attacked the Conservatives' economic record Tuesday and denounced the NDP's "mirage" of a plan while painting his Liberals as the only party that will help Canadians financially.
During a campaign stop in Conservative-held Mississauga, Ont., the Liberal leader said Stephen Harper is to blame for the fact that Canada is the only G7 country that has fallen into recession. The country can't afford a re-elected Tory government, Trudeau said.
Harper has the "worst growth record of any prime minister since R. B. Bennett in the depths of the Great Depression," and the Conservatives' strategy of helping the rich get richer won't help turn the economy around, he warned.
"In fact, as Stephen Harper steers us back into recession, it shows every sign of getting worse," said Trudeau. "When a plan isn't working, the real risk is sticking with the status quo."
Concerns of a possible recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction in gross domestic product, have grown in recent weeks as the economy declined by 0.2 per cent in May, the fifth consecutive monthly decrease. But some economists have said Canada hasn't exhibited some of the classic hallmarks of a recession, citing the country's job growth and stable employment rate.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair "has no answers at all" on the economy, charged Trudeau.
"He talks about these problems but has offered a mirage in response, not a plan," he said. "Mr. Mulcair likes to talk about what the middle class is going through, but he won't lift a finger to do anything."
The Liberals claim 90 per cent of Canadians would be better off financially under their plan to tax the rich and use the money to strengthen the middle class, which Trudeau said would create jobs and help spur investment.
"We're willing to do what neither (Harper) nor Mr. Mulcair are willing to do: raise taxes on the wealthiest one per cent of Canadians so that we can cut them for the middle class," he said.
Trudeau also lashed out at the New Democrats for promising to increase the national minimum wage, which applies to federally regulated sectors like banks and airlines, without admitting it would not apply to most workers who are paid the minimum wage because they are in provincially regulated sectors such as restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hotels and retail stores.
"Tom Mulcair's promise wouldn't give a single one of them a solitary dime," said Trudeau. "Tom Mulcair won't tell you that, but he knows it. He says he'll help, but he won't."
After 10 years, Canadians are tired of a Conservative government that is "out of steam, out of ideas and out of touch," said Trudeau.
"People are tired of this cynical, old government that spends all its time thinking about itself and none of its time thinking about Canadians -- a negative, divisive government that never misses the opportunity to pick a fight, but avoids every chance to solve a problem," he said.
Trudeau brushed off as a distraction the fact that Harper and the Conservatives have been referring to him simply as "Justin" in all their campaign speeches and literature.
"His distraction is working because I just got two questions on that rather than on how to build a stronger economy for the future of this country," he said. "The fact of the matter is Mr. Harper is showing once again that he's completely out of touch with Canadians' realities (if) that's what he's focusing on."
About 250 cheering supporters were on hand for the early-morning event as Trudeau unveiled the party's campaign bus -- a sign the Liberals are about to give chase to Harper on the campaign trail.
