Canadian Election Campaign Day 2 - Harsh Words from Liberal Leader

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today said that the Conservative Government’s tax relief and benefits have improved the lives of Canadian families and increased Canada’s standard of living.

“We have worked hard to put thousands of dollars back into the hands of the average Canadian family, because that’s the right direction for our standard of living and for our country,” Harper said.

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion turned up the rhetoric against his chief rival Monday, calling Prime Minister Stephen Harper a liar in blunt language seldom used even in political campaigning.

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"They are piling their lies upon lies," he said. "They are unable to stop to lie. Canadians will not accept that."

Dion also said the Conservatives have misrepresented his environmental plan to combat global warming, adding that he wants a serious debate with Harper on the issue.

“You can see here is that it's far from benign. It looks like a suburban subdivision,” he said of the hectares and hectares of developed territory than passed beneath the wings of the plane.

“Massive amounts of energy are being used to draw out these fossil fuels, we spend twice as much energy sometimes three times as much energy as we produce just to get the energy out,” he said.

That's why “an increasing number of Albertans, an increasing number of Canadians and people around the world,” said Mr. Layton, are speaking about how the development has got to be brought under control.

A new poll suggests a majority of Canadians like where the Conservatives have been taking the country, but are bracing for an election and wouldn't mind having a change of government all the same.

The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey suggests the Conservatives and Liberals remain in a dead heat in popular support going into an expected fall election.