The Harper government dismissed a pair of stinging parliamentary violations as a "distraction" and a "game," while the opposition called them a blow to Canadian democracy -- the latest in a public-relations war that could rapidly morph into an election campaign.
With the possibility of a confidence vote as early as March 21, the parties were furiously trying to frame House Speaker Peter Milliken's recent rulings on parliamentary privilege to their best advantage.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday that opposition politicians should be focused on the economy rather than "parliamentary procedure."
The Conservatives are gearing up to release their budget March 22 and want to shift the focus to the next phase of their economic action plan rather than a string of controversies that centre on respect for Parliament and its institutions, including Elections Canada.
"We have debates in Parliament all the time. The Speaker rules. You win some, you lose some. If you lose, you comply, and that's what we'll do," Harper said in Toronto.
"I understand in the game of democratic politics, oppositions and governments attack each other and there are parliamentary procedures and rulings back and forth, but that's the way life is."
Government House Leader John Baird went further, accusing the Liberals of being caught up in "distractions" rather than what Canadians really care about.
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