PM playing games with 'irresponsible' budget leaks: Ignatieff

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff accused Prime Minister Stephen Harper of playing political games on Friday, calling the leaking of information from next week's federal budget a deliberate attempt "to get the bad news out of the way."

"The release of this budget information was irresponsible and costly to our economy," Ignatieff said in an address to a joint luncheon of the Canadian Club and the Empire Club in Toronto.

"I asked Mr. Harper not to play games like that. I told him, 'Put the facts and figures on the table. Don’t let them slip out at his convenience.' But the guy just can't help himself. He thinks it is all some kind of political game."

The Liberal leader's comments came as government officials leaked more details from the federal budget on Friday, including a $1-billion fund for hard-hit industries ranging from forestry to agriculture to manufacturing.

On Thursday, a senior government official said the federal government will run a $64-billion deficit in the next two fiscal years in the Harper government's plan to provide a stimulus for the Canadian economy.

It is a stark contrast to the small surplus the Conservatives predicted for the next fiscal year in their economic update just two months ago.

Following that economic statement, the Liberals threatened to defeat the minority government and entered an agreement with the NDP to form a coalition government with support from the Bloc Québécois.

Seeks review

Ignatieff, who replaced Stéphane Dion as party leader last month, has said he wants to review Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's budget before he decides whether to support it. Earlier in the week, he signalled it was unlikely his party would defeat the Harper government and trigger another election.

Ignatieff did not mention the coalition agreement in his address Friday, but he insisted he would not let Harper "skate by with a passing grade."

"On Tuesday, we’ll all see whether the prime minister has learned to listen," Ignatieff said. "If he hasn’t learned to listen, he’s not going to lead for long."

After his speech, Ignatieff told reporters he would hold a special caucus meeting after the budget is tabled and give the party's verdict the following day.

"The next morning, you'll be in no doubt where the Liberal Party of Canada stands," he said. 

The Liberal leader also reiterated his opposition to broad-based tax cuts in the budget, which Harper and Flaherty recently suggested could be included.

Ignatieff 'has a choice' on budget vote: Layton

Speaking Friday in Toronto, NDP Leader Jack Layton accused the prime minister of "manipulating the process" with the leaks because he is "afraid of losing his job."

The NDP leader said his party has lost confidence in Harper's approach to the economic crisis and would not support the budget.

Layton also said he could remember a time when Harper would attack a government that allowed any leak of budget information ahead of a budget being tabled.

"He’s now once again doing something that he, himself, has opposed in the past," Layton told reporters shortly after Ignatieff spoke. "This is all a reason why the majority of Canadians of course did not support Mr. Harper in the last election."

Layton also cited Ignatieff's own words stating the coalition is "alive and well." He said the Liberal leader "has a choice between the same old way of doing things with the same old government, or a real change."

"He hasn't worked with Mr. Harper as long as I have," Layton said of Ignatieff.