Canadian Liberals to target prime minister

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- A pollster has advised Canada's opposition Liberal party to specifically target Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the reportedly imminent election.

Michael Marzolini told a closed-door Liberal caucus meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a poll he conducted showed the Conservatives ahead of Liberals 27 percent to 19 percent, the Globe and Mail reported.

Sources told the newspaper Marzolini recommended the Liberals focus their campaign on what he said were two of Harper's alleged weaknesses: the environment and the economy.

Two national polls published Tuesday and Wednesday each showed the Conservatives having a lead as Harper was posturing to dissolve Parliament a year early and call an election for Oct. 15.

Prior to the caucus meeting, Liberal leader Stephane Dion announced he was responding to criticisms from within his own party and softening his environmental "Green Shift" proposal, one of his key election platforms, the report said.

Dion also claimed Harper was more for the conservative values of U.S. President George Bush than Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Globe and Mail said.