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This article was published 23/1/2011 (3537 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PAWEL DWULIT / THE CANADIAN PRESS Prime Minister Stephen Harper addresses Conservative party faithful Sunday as he marks his government’s fifth anniversary.

OTTAWA -- Who loves ya, baby? Stephen Harper, that's who.

Harper celebrated his fifth anniversary as prime minister Sunday suggesting no one loves Canada more than his Conservative government.

In a speech to about 600 party faithful, Harper extolled his government's record of achievement, asserting that Canada is more united, stronger, safer and more prosperous after five years of minority Conservative rule.

But he also spent considerable time musing about patriotism. Although he never directly mentioned any opposition leader or party by name, the message seemed aimed at Michael Ignatieff, the Liberal leader derided by Tories as "just visiting" Canada after working abroad for most of his adult life.

"For Conservatives, (governing) is about public service and public service means sacrifice," Harper said.

"So why do we do it?... We are here because we love Canada... Canada is and always has been our country."

By contrast, Harper implied the previous Liberal government was driven by self-interest and a sense of entitlement. His remarks subtly underscored the latest Tory attack ads, which dredge up past remarks by Ignatieff referring to himself as an American, belittling Canada's peacekeeping reputation and describing the Maple Leaf flag as "a passing imitation of a beer label."

In contrast to Ignatieff's alleged elitism and detachment from Canada, Harper spoke of his travels across the country, meeting with folks like truck drivers and bank tellers -- "the quiet people" who make the country tick.

"These people love Canada, they love it deeply," Harper said. "And whoever has the honour to lead them must care about them and must love Canada as much as they do."

Harper has often been accused of being hyper-partisan, a perception exacerbated by aggressive Tory attack ads. But even though an election could be triggered over the federal budget as early as next month, Sunday's event seemed deliberately stripped of all signs of overt partisanship.

The word Canada was emblazoned on the speaker's podium and on two huge video screens flanking it. An enormous Maple Leaf flag served as the backdrop to Harper's podium. Party faithful in the audience waved tiny Canadian flags, not Tory banners.

Harper used the anniversary celebration to recount the highlights of his minority government.

He said the Tories will continue their tough-on-crime agenda, putting "the bad guys out of circulation for a while," even it means increased prison costs.

Harper also defended his government's decision to purchase $16 billion worth of stealth fighter jets.

"We will ensure that our men and women in uniform... have what they need to do their jobs as well and as safely as possible."

Under his government's management, Harper boasted Canada's economy bounced back the fastest among industrialized countries from the 2008 global recession. He warned against changing course in the midst of the "fragile" recovery, urging Canadians to say no to rolling back corporate tax cuts or investing in new programs, as the Liberals are proposing.

-- The Canadian Press