Canadian Conservative leader Stephen Harper (L1), Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe (L2) , Liberal leader Paul Martin (R2) and Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party pose for a picture as they attended a televised debate in Montreal, Canada, Jan. 9, 2006. (Xinhua photo)

Montreal, Jan. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Leaders of major Canadian parties on Monday spared no efforts in selling themselves and savaging their opponents at a national televised debate about two weeks before the federal election.

    Down in the polls and time running out for the Jan. 23rd election, Paul Martin, leader of the Liberal Party, took direct aim at the Conservative leader Stephen Harper with a flurry of warnings to Canadians at the second English-language debate stagedin the Mansion of the Canadian Broadcasting Cooperation (CBC) in Montreal.

    Martin said a Conservative government would eliminate tax cuts for the poor, slash social programs and threaten the country's Charter of Rights.

    The Liberal leader then made news by promising a Liberal government would introduce an amendment to remove the government's right to use the notwithstanding clause. The clause gives government the power to overrule court rulings on charter issues.

    Martin has been warning Canadians that the Conservatives would use the notwithstanding clause to override same-sex marriage.

    Harper used the debate to call for a change, saying that while Liberal party cronies have done well over the last 12 years, ordinary Canadians are worse off.

    "We need a government that will be on the side of the people who work hard, pay their taxes and play by the rules," he said.

    Harper is trying to cement his image as a moderate while telling voters yet again why scandal-plagued Liberals do not deserve another term in office.

    For his part, Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party, continued to portray his party as the "third option."

    Again Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe found himself in a heated argument with Martin over the national unity.

    Martin said it was crucial for Canada to pull together in face of the economic competition it faces from China, India and the United States.

    

Canadian Conservative leader Stephen Harper (L1), Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe (L2), Liberal leader Paul Martin (R2) and Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party attend a televised debate in Montreal, Canada, Jan. 9, 2006. (Xinhua photo)

Duceppe wondered why Canada did not join the United States if it was so important to be part of a larger nation.

    Latest poll suggests that the Conservatives have vaulted to a nine-point lead over the incumbent Liberals with less than two weeks to go before election day.

    The Decima Research poll, conducted Jan. 5-8, gave Tories up to 36 percent support among voters who said they were either decided or leaning one way and likely to vote. That is up six points from Decima's last poll, conducted the previous week.

    Decima surveyed 1,021 voters by telephone for the poll, which is considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

    However, analysts say the poll suggests voters remain highly volatile and could shift dramatically again before the Jan. 23 vote.

    Like last month's debates, the format for Monday's debate do not allow for direct confrontation between the candidates. On Tuesday they will have another debate in French. Enditem