In a bid for votes, Harper raises the security issue

With the latest opinion poll showing his Conservative Party in a statistical dead heat in voter popularity with the left-of-centre New Democratic Party, Stephen Harper, hoping to win his fourth mandate at Canada’s prime minister, changed the subject–to terrorism and security.

At last Thursday’s Leaders’ Debate, Mr. Harper came under stiff attack by opposition leaders for his handling of the economy, which is currently drifing toward recession.

At a televised campaign event/news conference in Ottawa on Sunday, Mr. Harper promised that if the Tories are re-elected on Oct. 19, Canadians who travel to regions where Islamic terrorism is rife could be prosecuted under new legislation.

He did not specify what regions would be included.

The Ottawa event was a combination press conference and pep rally filled with Tory supporters, who cheered Mr. Harper’s answers to reporters’ questions.

Mr. Harper’s announcement is likely aimed at leaching support from the NDP, a party he is attempting to paint as soft on national security.

Soft or not, an EKOS poll, released for iPolitics Friday, has Thomas Mulcair’s NDP on top with 29.6 per cent support, followed by the Tories at 28.1 per cent, and Liberals at 26.1 per cent. Greens are at 7.6 per cent.

EKOS president Frank Graves said the results should put to rest any doubts about NDP momentum since an EKOS poll last week first pointed to a three-way tie.

Two months ago, EKOS had the Tories at 32.9 per cent, Liberals at 30.5 per cent and the NDP well back at 19.7 per cent.

Mr. Harper won a majority government in 2011 with just under 40 per cent of the vote–good enough to trump the just over 50 per cent won by the NDP (31 per cent) and the Liberals (19 per cent).

On Monday, both Mr. Harper and Mr. Muclair were in Toronto, where swing suburban ridings are expected to be key to winning the vote.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau campaigned in Montreal.