Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says the Conservative budget expected at the end of next month should include help for "the most vulnerable," as well as tax breaks for entrepreneurs, to pull the country out of a recession.
In a year-end interview that aired Sunday on CTV's Question Period, Ignatieff called for a two-pronged approach to tackling the ongoing financial crisis.
"I think we need to target it on the most vulnerable, on the one hand, and then on the other hand, give the entrepreneurs and businessmen who are going to drag us out of this the breaks they need in order to generate jobs and wealth," Ignatieff said.
He also called for more investment in infrastructure, as well as new funds for affordable housing and job training. The government will unveil the federal budget near the end of January, and Conservatives have met with opposition officials to discuss the fiscal document.
"We've got to seize the opportunities," Ignatieff said. "How do we get the infrastructure investment in the ground now so that when we come out of this -- and I hope we come out quickly -- so we're driving on better roads, we've got better sewers, we've got better bridges, we've got better energy corridors."
When questioned on whether he would opt to vote down the Harper government after the budget is tabled, Ignatieff reaffirmed his earlier commitment to wait until he knows the contents of the document before making a decision.
He would only say that a Liberal-NDP coalition, supported by the Bloc Quebecois, is a viable alternative for Canadians, "if the Harper government continues its record of failure on economic leadership."
In a separate interview on Question Period, NDP Leader Jack Layton said the coalition, which was formed after November's poorly-received fiscal update, is holding up despite Governor General Michaelle Jean's decision to prorogue Parliament until Jan. 26.
Layton said voters want the opposition leaders to, "actually work together instead of pointing fingers at each other in the House of Commons."
According to Layton, if Harper's budget is defeated, "it wouldn't take months" for the coalition to develop a new budget and move forward with reviving the economy.
