MONTREAL - Quebec's political leaders pointed to the imbroglio in the nation's capital and asked Quebecers' on Saturday to grant them a majority government on election day.
"In a period of economic upheaval, instability is detrimental," Liberal Leader Jean Charest told a news conference in Quebec City.
"We need political stability. This reinforces what I've been saying since the beginning of the campaign: in a period of economic instability we need political stability."
The federal government is crippled by a potential showdown over looming confidence vote and is unable to manage the fallout from the global financial crisis, according to the Liberal leader.
"In the Canadian Parliament they're managing the political crisis, not the financial crisis," he said.
"We can't rewrite history and change what's happening in Ottawa, but we can make history on Dec. 8."
Parti Quebecois Leader Pauline Marois, putting her spin on the chaos in the capital, said the crisis in Ottawa demonstrated the need for a sovereigntist majority because only the PQ would stand up to a federal government that doesn't respect Quebec values.
She also attacked the prime minister for scheduling the confidence vote on the same day Quebecers go to the polls.
"It's completely disrespectful of Prime Minister Stephen Harper," Marois said.
Meanwhile, the Action democratique du Quebec Leader has brushed off the impact the political crisis in Ottawa is having on the Quebec election campaign.
Mario Dumont accused Charest of petitioning for a majority while he tried to ensure a federal minority government.
Charest regularly commented during the federal election, speaking out on economic matters and cuts to cultural programs.
The ADQ leader also continued to hammer Charest about the financial health of Quebec's pension fund manager.
He accused the Liberal leader of using the Caisse de depot to play politics after an article in Montreal La Presse reported a candidate for a management position at the agency was rejected due to possible ties with the ADQ.
"He's the one who's trying to politicize the agency, he blocked the nomination of someone who would probably have cleaned up the Caisse," Dumont said. "It's supposed to be an independent, but (Charest) put politics in there."
Dumont also charged Charest with purposely keeping the Caisse's financial results under wraps.
Both Dumont and Marois have consistently pressed Charest to release the figures. The Liberal leader has refused, saying the Caisse operates independently of the government.
