The Saskatchewan Party and the Liberals are accusing the NDP of using subliminal advertising to suggest their opponents support pornography.

A new television advertisement says the Saskatchewan Party "stood for the privatization of the Crowns."

As the letters on the screen dissolve, the word porn is spelled out, the Saskatchewan Party says. As the letters on the screen dissolve, the word porn is spelled out, the Saskatchewan Party says.
(NDP TV ad)

A second later, the letters begin to fade away, but according to the Saskatchewan Party, the letters P-O-R-N are visible. (There's also a letter T onscreen).

Sask. Party MLA Nancy Heppner called it the latest example of a disastrous ad campaign for the New Democratic Party in the runup to a provincial election.

Liberal Leader David Karwacki said for the NDP commercial to subliminally suggest the Sask. Party supports pornography shows politics has taken a nasty turn in the province.

NDP provincial secretary Doug Still said it wasn't intentional.

"The production house here in Regina has a computer program, which generated the ad," Mr. Still said. "It's random evaporation of the letters. It cannot be interfered with by human beings."

Premier Lorne Calvert hasn't said when the election will be held, but said earlier this year that fall was his preference.

There has already been wide discussion in the province about an NDP brochure that depicts the Sask. Party as a wolf in sheep's clothing.

It suggests the Sask. Party has a hidden agenda to sell off the Crown corporations and privatize health care, accusations that Sask. Party Leader Brad Wall called a pack of lies.

A TV ad from the wolf-in-sheep's-clothing campaign is the one the Liberals and Saskatchewan Party said contains the subliminal porn message.

Earlier in the week, the NDP was in a war of words with the City of Regina after the wolf ads were pulled from billboards on city buses.

The city says the ads aren't allowed under a policy that forbids political advertising. The NDP says it's a matter of free speech and notes that the city previously accepted money to run the ads.

(with files from Canadian Press)