Election saber-rattling seen in Canada

OTTAWA, July 30 (UPI) -- Indications mounted in Ottawa this week Canada's main opposition party was planning to force a fall election as the recession eased, an analysis says.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government held three days of talks with Michael Ignatieff's Liberal party this week, and signs of impatience among the Liberals became apparent, the Globe and Mail reported.

The most contentious issue is the Employment Insurance program for people out of work, with the Liberals demanding a more uniform and less regional approach to benefits and the Conservatives determined to rein in further expenses, the newspaper said.

A national survey of 1,012 voters conducted for the Toronto Star Monday and Tuesday by Angus Reid Strategies suggested support among the two main parties was in a dead heat, with the Conservatives at 33 percent and the Liberals with 34 percent.

The poll's 3.1 percent margin of error shows a fall election could go either way, the polling company said.

Various reports said Liberal members were putting pressure on Ignatieff to stop supporting the Conservatives with conditions and progress yardsticks, the Globe said.

"I have always tried to work with the government, trying to put the country first, but it's getting tougher and tougher, and that's all I'll tell you right now," Ignatieff told CTV News Wednesday.