The Conservatives issued a fundraising letter on Wednesday painting interim Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff as a parachute leader who wasn't rightfully elected by Canadians or his own party members.

"Stéphane Dion has resigned as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and by extension, of the Liberal/NDP/Bloc Coalition," Tory campaign chair Doug Finley writes.

"In yet another stunning and unprecedented demonstration of Liberal contempt for our democratic rights, they've decided to appoint a new leader in place."

The fundraising letter then implores party supporters to donate $200 or $100 to "help us spread this message to Canadians."

The letter came just a day after Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered an olive branch to Ignatieff, urging the "big national parties" to work together on protecting Canada's economy from the global economic turmoil.

"I hope the next Liberal leader, the first thing he'll do will be … to sit down with me and have that kind of discussion," the prime minister said in an interview with the CBC's Peter Mansbridge on Tuesday.

While the letter appeared to pick up on the hostile tone on Parliament Hill over the past two weeks, most Conservative MPs appeared more conciliatory toward Ignatieff, who was appointed on Wednesday by the Liberal party's national executive to replace Dion.

When asked about Ignatieff's appointment, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the selection of a new party leader "sets a new tone."

But MacKay also said Ignatieff's "job one" is to determine whether he is a leader of a party or the leader of a coalition that includes the support of the separatist Bloc Québécois.

"I think that has to be his first decision that he makes," MacKay told reporters outside the House of Commons on Wednesday.

When asked about the letter, Heritage Minister James Moore said all political parties engage in what he called "campaign rhetoric, while Transport Minister John Baird shrugged it off.

"Listen, let's just put that aside," Baird said. "I think Mr. Ignatieff is a reasonable fellow and we'll wait and see how it works out."

But Tory MP Pierre Poilievre repeated the letter's message to reporters outside a party caucus meeting on Wednesday, saying Ignatieff "is leading an undemocratic and un-Canadian coalition."

Letter urges Tories to 'drive that wedge home'

Finley's letter also says "cracks in the coalition are already starting to show" and that Liberals are "already acknowledging that the Liberal/NDP/Bloc coalition was ill-conceived, undemocratic and potentially ruinous for Canada."

"We need to drive that wedge home and convince Canadians of all political stripes that this Coalition does nothing but weaken our nation," Finley writes.

But New Democratic MP Paul Dewar said Ignatieff has personally signed the coalition accord and reiterated on Wednesday that he is prepared to topple the government in a confidence vote and govern with the help of other opposition parties if the Governor General asks him.

"We trust his sincerity," Dewar told the CBC's Don Newman on Wednesday in Ottawa. "We don’t trust the prime minister's, and why should we?"

But New Democrat MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis made it clear New Democrats have concerns about the state of their agreement with the Liberals.

"Their brand could be in trouble if, in fact, they choose to prop up Stephen Harper in the next budget," she said. "And I think the choices are pretty clear."

With files from the Canadian Press