BURNABY (NEWS1130) - With just two days left before Canadians head to the polls, NDP leader Jack Layton made a stop in Metro Vancouver today.
Speaking to reporters, Layton couldn't dodge questions about his questionable stop at a Toronto massage parlour in 1996. The NDP boss insists there was no wrong-doing in his actions.
"I went for a massage at a community clinic," he says. "The police advised that it wasn't the greatest place to be. I left, and I never went back."
He calls it a smear campaign, but stops short of pointing any fingers. "I have no idea how it all came about... I do know that this is the kind of politics that Canadians don't appreciate. It's not the kind of politics they want to see."
Layton won't say if he'll take legal action against Sun TV for reporting the incident.
Speaking to a crowd in Burnaby today, he blamed other federal parties for bringing the HST to this province. "It was the Conservative MPs and the Liberal MPs who voted for that HST to be imposed."
If he becomes Prime Minister, Layton promises not to charge British Columbians to get rid of the HST.
Meanwhile, Layton says he is prepared to work with other parties to avoid what he calls a pizza government.
The NDP leader stopped short of saying he would form a coalition with the Liberals should the Tories end up with a minority.
"We're working to defeat Stephen Harper and replace his government, which I think would be the best thing for the country, and we're not going to stop that project until we hit the end of the voting day, and then we'll evaluate what mandate we've been given."
The NDP leader made the remarks after today's rally.