OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper is trying to set the tone for Monday's resumption of Parliament by vowing his government will focus on jobs and economic security.
He told Conservative party supporters in Ottawa today that despite global economic uncertainty, Canada is moving in the right direction.
The Senate expenses scandal and the government's treatment of armed forces veterans will no doubt continue to be fodder for opposition outrage and government discomfort.
But with an election on the horizon within nine months, expect MPs to train their sites primarily on the uncertain economy — the one issue most likely to move votes.
Harper's Conservatives have made sound fiscal management the cornerstone of their re-election bid and only a few months ago would have been delighted to have the focus squarely on economic matters.
But with the collapse of oil prices sucking billions from the federal treasury and stifling economic growth, the governing party is expected to be put on the hot seat by the New Democrats and Liberals.
