Ottawa

With respect, unity is probably not your strong suit, Prime Minister

“The carbon tax will do more than undermine the economy,” Harper said to a crowd of business leaders. “By undermining the economy and by re-centralizing money and power in Ottawa, it can only undermine the progress we have been making on national unity.”

Harper’s comments appear to step up the Tories’ relentless attacks on Dion’s Green Shift plan, which would balance a carbon tax with income-tax cuts.

An outraged Dion quickly struck back at his rival, calling Harper’s comments “irresponsible,” and citing his record in taking on Lucien Bouchard as intergovernmental affairs minister and succeeding in drafting and passing the Clarity Act into law.

“While he was busy talking about building firewalls in the West, I was fighting to keep my country together,” Dion said in New Brunswick, where he was speaking to the Board of Trade. “I do not need any lessons from Stephen Harper on fighting for the national unity of my country.”

[Dion’s Green Shift threatens national unity: Harper]

MORE: “We must stop elevating every policy difference into a national unity crisis,” he said. “It is completely irresponsible for Stephen Harper to do this.”

Snap and double snap.

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