Hargrove's comments 'beyond the pale': Harper
Last Updated: Thursday, January 19, 2006 | 10:38 PM ET
CBC News
"It is absolutely unacceptable in any way shape or form to suggest that people should vote for the breakup of the country so the Liberals can stay in power," Harper said at a campaign stop in Ancaster, Ont.
On Wednesday, Hargrove, president of the Canadian Auto Workers union, appeared at a Liberal campaign event with the Liberal leader and told reporters that Harper's policies on federal-provincial relations were essentially separatist.
Stephen Harper delivers his campaign speech at a rally in St. Catharines, Ontario Thursday Jan. 19, 2006. (CP photo)
- FROM JAN. 18, 2006: Bloc opposition better than Tory government: Hargrove
He suggested the country would be better off if Quebecers voted for the separatist Bloc to keep the Conservatives from winning a majority next Monday.
"This is beyond the pale, without precedent that a party leader would stand there while one of his prominent spokespeople suggests that people actually vote for the separatists, and he'd say absolutely nothing about it and nothing to distance himself from those comments," Harper said.
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Riding high in the polls across the country, and having made significant gains in Quebec, Harper has begun speaking at campaign events about forming a government.
On Thursday, Harper said same-sex marriage wasn't a high priority for him, but he does want to put a question about revisiting the issue before the House of Commons.
"I can't put a timeline on it. I'm not going to want to leave it forever, but it's not one of the five top priorities. So I suspect we won't deal with it right away but we'll try and ask Parliament its opinion in due course."
