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Martin sharpened his direct appeal to left-leaning voters made earlier in the week by accusing the NDP of siding with the Harper government on economic policy.

The public has grown used to the Harper government’s mantra on deficits, but should be startled by what they hear from New Democrats, he said.

“That Tom Mulcair is now a student of Stephen Harper’s economy makes absolutely no sense,” said Martin.

“Where is the conscience of those who belong in the NDP? How can the NDP party — those who’ve worked it for all these years — stand for the fact that the party is now holding hands with the Conservatives and saying that our goal in the next mandate is to do absolutely nothing?”

He mocked Harper’s animated response Thursday to the Liberal proposal to run “modest” shortfalls and said criticism of the plan was rich coming from a government that has added $150 billion to the national debt.

“He’s the king of deficits,” said Martin, whose remarks in English seemed aimed at an audience outside of Quebec.

“The current Conservative government has ground the economy down so far, trapping our most vulnerable of citizens in the process, that the next government has to act — and that the NDP doesn’t understand that boggles the mind.