The Liberal and Conservative leaders traded jabs Wednesday in a war of words over how another minority government might emerge from the May 2 federal election.

Both enter the final two weeks of the campaign desperately trying to persuade the electorate to back a majority for their party.

If Stephen Harper's Conservatives win the most seats — but not enough for a majority— they'll have the same right to form a government and present a budget to the House of Commons as he would, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff said Wednesday.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and his wife Zsuzsanna Zsohar arrive in Saint John Wednesday. Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press

"I have never said I will vote against his budget," Ignatieff told reporters in Saint John.

Harper would have to negotiate support with the other parties and govern accordingly, he added.

"What I've said is, I want to form a government. I want to get … the most seats. I then want to offer a budget to the Parliament of Canada and seek its support. If he gets more seats than me or my party, then he will present a budget, and hey, you know what I do with a budget: I read it."

'This is not an abstract constitutional debate. This is a very real choice facing the voters.'—Stephen Harper

The Liberal leader engaged in the back-and-forth with Harper after Ignatieff's interview with CBC News chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge on Tuesday in which he tried to lay out the conditions under which he might form a government, even if the Conservatives have the most seats.

The CBC interview revived talk in the campaign about how a government might emerge from a minority situation that now appears increasingly likely, given current polling results.

In Rivière-du-Loup, Que., Wednesday, Harper continued to pitch the need for a majority government, seizing on Ignatieff's comments to CBC News.

"This is not an abstract constitutional debate. This is a very real choice facing the voters," Harper said.

"Mr. Ignatieff, Mr. Layton and Mr. Duceppe are all increasingly clear. If they have a minority parliament, they will, in some manner, try and get together and form a government. We don’t know what its program will be. They will negotiate that later.

"We do know that everything they’re talking about points to higher spending and tax hikes. It points to renewed fighting over referendums, constitutions and national unity.… No clear plan on the economy, no clear plan for job creation."

'No. I repeat, no'

Ignatieff said he would not do that unless asked by the Governor General. He was asked by a reporter about suggestions the Liberals were trying to "come clean" now about the possibility of coalition, rather than look like liars later.

"Is that your plan?" the reporter asked.

"No. I repeat, no," Ignatieff said to applause from Liberal supporters.

"I don't have a problem about coalition, and I don't have a problem about respecting the constitution of my country. With the greatest respect, I would tell you that Mr. Harper has a problem with both."

Later, Ignatieff said of Harper: "What does he think he is? The king here? It's 'my way or the highway' the whole time .… He has an obligation to present a budget that has the confidence of the House of Commons .… The ruthless, relentless disrespect for Parliament is why we're having an election here."

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe was critical Wednesday of what he called Harper's "no compromise" approach to dealing with the possibility of another minority government, calling it irresponsible.

Speaking with reporters in the Eastern Townships, Duceppe said Harper "needs to respect those whom Canadians choose to send to Ottawa to represent them."

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall also weighed in on the issue on Wednesday, saying he was "deeply troubled" that Ignatieff may choose to "overturn the democratic result of the federal election."

"While I understand that the scenario spelled out by Mr. Ignatieff is within the conventions of our Parliamentary tradition, the last thing our country and our still fragile economic recovery need right now is a period of instability caused by a constitutional dispute over who should be the government," Wall said in a statement.

Wall said that the party that wins the most seats on May 2 should be recognized as the government.

"The notion that Mr. Ignatieff may choose to not recognize the democratic result of the election and may try to seize power with the support of the other parties, including a party dedicated to the breakup of Canada, is offensive to me and I believe, to most fair-minded Canadians. Voters should choose the government, not separatist MPs."

On Tuesday, the Liberal leader had said he would be willing to form a government if Harper wins the most seats in the election but fails to win the confidence of Parliament.

"If the Governor General wants to call on other parties, or myself, for example, to try and form a government, then we try to form a government," Ignatieff told Mansbridge.

"That's exactly how the rules work and what I'm trying to say to Canadians is, I understand the rules, I respect the rules, I will follow them to the letter and I'm not going to form a coalition."