"Our economy is in a major slowdown," says Jennings, who is seeking her fifth term in office.

"We're looking at what's happening in the United States. Everybody knows that it's bound to have a negative impact on the Canadian economy … and we have a Conservative government, Mr. Harper, who's literally squandered the $13 billion surplus that he inherited from a Liberal government and from the hard work of Canadians over 13 years.

"The current government has absolutely no wiggle room to be able to make any kind of assistance to ensure that our economy isn't as hard hit as we know there's a good chance it's be," she adds. "All of the polls and surveys are showing that Canadians really becoming very, very anxious. They're worried about job losses.

"Under the Conservative government, just since Jan. 1, we have a net job loss of over 11,000 jobs, and the new jobs that have been created are part-time jobs in the service industry … A lot of Canadians, in order to support their families and children, need full-time jobs that are well-paid, and those are the jobs that we're losing."

Reacting to the crisis in the U.S. which has seen one major investment bank fail and another bailed out of bankruptcy by the government, Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper said last week that Canadian financial institutions remain strong and he is not anticipating any crisis.

Carmine Pontillo, who is running for the Conservatives in the riding, was offered a chance to respond to the charges. "Our government has implemented sound financial policies so that we could be better prepared for such a slowdown," he said in an e-mail.

"On the other hand, Mr. Dion and Marlene Jennings' election promises — $70 billion alone in one day last week — will greatly exaggerate any economic blip that may be coming. Mr. Dion and Marlene Jennings' carbon tax, increase in the GST, and new deficits will contribute to further slowing the Canadian economy at a time when it would need to be stimulated rather than slowed. Mr. Dion and Marlene Jennings spending promises will surely put the Canadian economy into a recession."