Canadian PM calls election on Oct 14

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper yesterday called an election for Oct 14 in a bid to strengthen his hold on power after two and half years in charge of a minority Conservative Party government.

Opinion polls in the past week show the Conservatives have such a large lead over the opposition Liberals that they could win a majority of the 308 seats in Parliament.

Harper says Canada needs steady leadership at a time when the economy is suffering from the US slowdown. He already has made clear he will not be proposing the kind of high-profile tax cuts his right-leaning government unveiled in the past.