On the campaign trail: The weekend photo recap
The party leaders: Where they went and what they said on Saturday April 23 and Sunday April 24
Campaigning in Halifax on Saturday, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff accused the NDP of making tens of billions of dollars worth of promises that they have no means of paying for. Faced with the alarming threat of surging support for the NDP, Mr. Ignatieff is pivoting to protect his left flank. The Liberals debuted a new ad accusing the NDP of failing to support the gun registry, of making unaffordable spending commitments and of having "incredibly inexperienced candidates." On Sunday, Mr. Ignatieff dropped by the Globe and Mail where he emphasized his 'Family Pack' but showed exasperation that his commitment to Canada is still being questioned and his vision for Canada ignored. He also appeared in a paid, half-hour TV infomercial and attended Khalsa Day celebration at Queen's Park in Toronto.Fred Thornhill/Reuters/The Globe and Mail
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper continued his bid for a majority government on Saturday after speaking at a Coptic Christian centre in Mississauga. He said it doesn't matter if the NDP or the Liberals are the leading opposition party, "the fundamental choice has not changed." When Mr. Harper was asked about a Vancouver candidate's endorsement by a man acquitted in the Air India bombing, members of his staff and the crowd of about 500 at the Coptic Christian centre clapped and cheered loudly to prevent a CBC reporter from quizzing him further. Mr. Harper also said he is not shuffling his campaign team despite the controversy dogging a Conservative senator and a senior aide about pressure applied to the Port of Montreal. During a brief campaign stop in the Vancouver area Sunday, Mr. Harper visited the Burnaby Alliance Church. The Church?s Reverend Tim Tze prayed for a "wall of protection" to be erected around Mr. Harper. Campaigning in Victoria, Mr. Harper denounced politically-motivated vandalism taking place in Toronto ridings.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
In Montreal on Saturday, NDP Leader Jack Layton deflected criticism from the Liberals after a packed rally in the heart of Gilles Duceppe's riding. "The Liberals have said they want to do cap-and-trade too, so I don't understand their criticism," the NDP Leader said. He said a "wind of change" is moving through Quebec, addressing his recent surge in support in the province. But poll numbers released on Sunday showed the jump in NDP support has not travelled to Ontario. Mr. Layton spent the day in Toronto, attending an Easter service and speaking at a Khalsa Day parade at Queen's Park.Fred Thornhill/Reuters
The Bloc spent Easter weekend desperately shoring up its base, appealing to hard line nationalists who appear to be losing enthusiasm for the party under Gilles Duceppe. Under Mr. Duceppe's name, the Bloc fired off a hostile tweet early Saturday proclaiming the election a fight between "Canadians and Quebeckers." Mr. Duceppe's camp took down the tweet and replaced it with another saying the fight is actually "between the parties of the Canadian majority and Quebec." The original may have just been a gaffe by a staffer, but combined the tweets left little doubt that Mr. Duceppe has abandoned one of his usual roles as a parking place for the votes of disgruntled Quebec francophone federalists.Graham Hughes/CP