SIDNEY, B.C. - Liberal Leader Stephane Dion says Stephen Harper is finally waking up and realizing Canada isn't immune to an economic crisis.
But Dion said it's too little, too late.
"Canadians want to have a prime minister who has the conviction about the role of the government to help the people to face the tough times in which we are. Mr. Harper showed that he didn't," he said Monday during a campaign stop in Sidney, B.C., north of Victoria.
"During the debate, four hours of debate, I challenged him and he continued to say that I was panicking. I was not panicking, I was answering to the crisis, as all the leaders of the world are but Stephen Harper."
The prime minister has said the country's economy is strong and that Canada is not in the same situation at the United States.
Harper said Monday he remains "optimistic" about the economic situation, but that Canadians can't pretend "that we will escape effects of world development."
Dion said Harper is following the lead of the Liberals and trying to come up with a last-minute plan.
The Liberal leader said he believes Canadians will see through that.
Dion added that if Canada is in a position to avoid a recession, it's thanks to the former Liberal governments under Jean Chretien and Paul Martin.
"If we are in a better situation to face the difficulties of today it's because we had a government that was taking care of the economy, a government that was involved," he said.
Dion stopped in the Vancouver Island riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands, where the Liberals hope to grab votes from NDP supporters to defeat the incumbent -- Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn.
Local NDP candidate Julian West resigned last month over an incident 12 years ago in which he removed his clothes and swam naked at a retreat where children were present.
