Question period took on the tone of a campaign Thursday, as the opposition parties and the Conservatives traded salvos and attacked each other as election speculation reached a fever pitch in Ottawa.
The attacks in Parliament come one day ahead of an expected non-confidence vote that will likely bring down the government of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, only two-and-a-half years after he won a minority in 2008.
The election-like tough talk on Thursday could also lay out a blueprint for each side, as the parties strive to frame the vote in their own terms and label their competitors as a poor choice.
For the Conservatives, the barbs centered on accusations that the Liberals were colluding with the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois to create an alliance to grab power. They also said that an election will waste $400 million that could be used elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Liberal deputy leader Ralph Goodale said that the Conservatives had "twisted priorities" and were spending "1,000 times more" on fighter jets than on helping Canadians get a post-secondary education.
It's expected that the country's fifth election in 10 years could occur in early May.
Originally, it appeared the Conservative government would be taken down on the budget as early as Thursday, after all three opposition parties said they planned to vote against the document.
But on Wednesday the Liberals managed to delay a budget vote, opening the door for a Friday vote of non-confidence against the Conservatives.
The NDP and Bloc have already said they will support the Liberal motion, meaning the government's collapse is all but a certainty.
The motion introduced by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff on Wednesday is based on allegations the Conservatives are in contempt of Parliament and that they have little respect for the rules of democracy.
The motion also accuses the Tories of failing to respect the rights of voters by refusing to release the full cost of its tough-on-crime agenda, corporate tax cuts and a major purchase of fighter jets.
Ignatieff on Wednesday said the budget introduced this week shows Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government are "out of touch and out of control."
"The priorities of this government make no sense to Canadians," said Ignatieff this week, again pointing to spending on fighter jets and last summer's billion-dollar G20 summit.
"This is a democracy for heaven's sake. (Harper) has shown flagrant disregard for democracy. It's time to bring democracy back to Canada."
Harper has maintained that it's not too late for the opposition parties to change their minds and "put the interests of Canadians first."
However, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has said the time for negotiations on the budget has passed and no changes will be made to the fiscal plan.
Harper said Wednesday he will not be going to the Governor General to ask for the dissolution of Parliament, suggesting it is entirely up to the opposition parties to bring down the government and force what he called a "useless" election.
Don Martin, host of CTV's Power Play, said Thursday that the campaign had all but begun.
However, he said that the Conservatives would likely try to stall the official start of the campaign for a day or two to maximize airtime for attack ads, since advertising spending is closely regulated during campaign periods.
"It's pretty much accepted," said Martin of the expected election, adding that the parties all seem to agree that no more work will be completed in Parliament.
