The Conservatives will release their campaign platform in the heart of vote-rich southern Ontario Friday, with an eye on stealing rival seats and an expected focus on several key fronts including job creation and deficit reduction.
Carrying the title "Here for Canada," the election handbook will also feature a collection of new crime bills, new policies for seniors and the details of government Arctic investments.
The platform, which will likely bear similarities to the Conservative budget defeated in Parliament last month, will be released at a town hall-style event in Mississauga, Ont.
The town hall format could be interpreted as a Conservative gambit to silence criticisms amid reports that the RCMP and security officers have been barring some people from attending Harper's campaign events.
Harper has been accused of campaigning inside a political bubble, with tightly organized campaign events and a scripted guest list full of Conservative loyalists.
On Thursday night, however, Conservative organizers allowed some unregistered participants into an event in Hamilton, during Harper's ongoing blitz in southern Ontario.
But during the speech, a heckler who identified himself as a steelworker openly heckled Harper's with comments about jobs. Harper kept talking, however, as the heckler spoke.
Reporting from outside the event, CTV's Roger Smith said the heckler began interrupting Harper in full view of television cameras. But instead of forcibly removing the man, security simply "stood at a distance and just watched," Smith said.
Earlier in the day, Harper had apologized for an incident in which a young woman was barred from a campaign event in London, Ont., after organizers found she had a Facebook picture with Michael Ignatieff on her profile.
Responding to that incident, Harper said Thursday that anyone who wants to hear the Conservative message is welcome at events.
Now, it appears that the Conservatives are attempting to send the message to Canadians that a new policy of openness at events is "sincere," Smith reported.
In fact, Harper even met face-to-face with a group of about 30 students who had come to the Hamilton event.
Harper would double tax-free savings account
On Thursday morning, Harper announced that a re-elected Conservative government would double the amount Canadians can contribute to Tax Free Savings Accounts to $10,000 per year.
However the increase would not kick in until the deficit is erased -- likely a few years from now.
The Conservatives introduced the TFSA accounts in their 2008 budget. It currently allows Canadians to save up to $5,000 per year, tax free.
Harper said Thursday that more than five million Canadians are now using the accounts to put away money each year, without having to pay income tax on the interest.
The Conservative leader was stumping in Vaughan, Ont., alongside Julian Fantino, former chief of the Toronto police and the Ontario Provincial Police.
Fantino, the newest member of Harper's cabinet, is minister of state for seniors.
Fantino won the Vaughan riding in a hard-fought byelection in November, besting Liberal Tony Genco by only about 1,000 votes.
The Conservatives are pushing hard to hold onto the valuable real estate.
On Thursday, after the TFSA changes were announced, questions quickly turned back to that subject and the appearance that Harper is running a tightly controlled campaign.
Harper said it's in the party's best interest to have as many people as possible at Conservative events and said "if anybody is kept out of any of our events that is there to hear our message, we obviously apologize."
