Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe defended Stephane Dion Friday as the Liberals and Tories continued to trade sharpened political attacks over the Grit leader's muddled English-language interview.
On Thursday, CTV Atlantic broadcast an awkward interview in which Dion struggled to understand a question and asked to start over.
"I think it's just unacceptable to criticize Mr. Dion's English," Duceppe said, adding that the prolonged political fallout is indicative of a double standard in Canadian politics.
Duceppe said that French-speaking politicians are forced to speak perfect English while Anglophone leaders are allowed to butcher their French.
"I think when we compare Mr. Dion's English with the French of other English leaders or ministers . . . I think he's getting better."
Duceppe is the latest federal politician to weigh in on the contentious debate, which was ignited after Dion was shown on television Thursday struggling to understand a question during an interview in Halifax.
Shortly after the interview hit the airwaves, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper held an unprecedented evening press scrum. Harper said the interview proved Dion wasn't equipped to handle the current economic uncertainty, and that prime ministers don't get "do-overs."
On Friday morning, Dion hit back at Harper and characterized the attack as a personal one which zeroed in on the Liberal leader's shaky English skills.
Dion added that such criticisms were unbecoming of a national leader.
"This man has no class and no plan," he said during a campaign stop in southern Ontario.
He added that Harper arranged the press conference Thursday night not to address pressing issues like economics or jobs, but to launch a shameful, personal attack.
"It was to not miss an opportunity to come with a low blow against his main opponent," he said.
Dion has said that he didn't understand the question, either because of his hearing problem or because English is his second language.
The interview with CTV Atlantic began with several false starts as the Liberal leader asked for clarification of a question from anchor Steve Murphy about what he would have done as prime minister, to protect the economy.
Dion asked several times to restart the interview.
Harper initially responded to the interview by saying it proved Dion wasn't equipped to handle the current economic uncertainty, and that prime ministers don't get "do-overs."
Some heavyweight Liberals joined in the outrage Friday and Bob Rae suggested Harper's attacks on Dion were a cheap shot.
"Canadians are judged on the quality of their ideas, not on the quality of their English or whether their hearing is perfect," Rae said in a news release.
"Do Canadians really want a man like Mr. Harper to represent them?"
Meanwhile, NDP Jack Layton empathized with Dion and said the campaign has been long and that everyone is tired.
"My problem with Mr. Dion is his platform and his record of propping up Mr. Harper. I have a big problem with that. I don't have any problem with some question that he struggled with, because I've struggled with questions too."
Harper defends comments
On Friday morning, speaking in Brantford, Ont., Harper defended his response, dismissing claims it was a mean-spirited attack on Dion's English skills.
"I think the interview speaks for itself. Canadians can watch it. The issue is Mr. Dion's response on the economy," Harper said.
"Mr. Dion says that he has no plan for the economy other than a carbon tax and that's what the issue is in this election. Canadians are being asked to pick a prime minister, myself or Mr. Dion, and I think Canadians expect that you have a plan before you are elected, that your platform is not that you will develop a plan only if elected."
Harper has passionately railed against Dion's Green Shift carbon tax plan, calling it an "experiment" that would raise prices, damage investments and eliminate jobs.
With files from The Canadian Press
