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Stéphane Dion says he can't believe his Conservative rival would be “so insensitive” as to suggest there's money to be made on the stock market during the current economic crisis.

“It shows how much Stephen Harper is insensitive and out of touch with ordinary Canadians. I cannot believe he said that,” Mr. Dion told reporters following a rally in North Bay. “You have Canadians today worrying or losing the value of their savings, their pensions, and he said that. [It's] so insensitive and out of touch, it's incredible.”

Mr. Dion, the Liberal Leader, was responding to remarks made earlier in the day by Mr. Harper.

“I think there are probably some great buying opportunities emerging in the stock market as a consequence of all this panic,” Mr. Harper told reporters.

Mr. Harper's comments are sure to fuel what had already been the dominant theme of Mr. Dion's campaign in the final days leading up to the Oct. 14 election. In his campaign speeches, Mr. Dion attacks Mr. Harper as a leader with a “laissez-faire, I don't care” approach and says Liberal governments are the better option to help people who are facing economic struggles.

In his speech to a packed campaign office in North Bay, Mr. Dion delivered a new speech almost entirely focused on criticizing the Conservative party platform released Tuesday.

He noted that the 44-page document makes no mention of poverty, climate change or fiscal discipline, yet makes 100 references to Stephen Harper.

“We have a platform of 66 pages. We mention the leader six times,” said Mr. Dion.

He added that the Liberal platform contains one picture of himself, yet Mr. Harper's photo appears 22 times in the Conservatives' 44-page document.

“Beyond the words, it's all about him. It's me, myself and I,” said Mr. Dion. “It's about his job. Our plan is about your jobs.”

Earlier Tuesday in Vancouver, Mr. Dion made a direct pitch to nervous seniors, saying a Liberal government would explore the option of easing the rules governing their pension savings.

Mr. Dion said the option would be part of his “30-day plan” to meet with financial experts to hammer out the best form of government action to address the international credit crisis.

Liberals explained that by the age of 71, seniors who have turned their Registered Retirement Savings Plan into a Registered Retirement Income Fund are required to withdraw money from the fund on a set schedule.

Liberals say they will ask regulators for their views on suspending those rules so that seniors are not required to withdraw their funds while their savings are taking a hit on the stock market.

He said a Liberal government would immediately study the merits of raising the individual amount of savings that are guaranteed by the government, which is currently $100,000.

“This is the thing you do when you care,” Mr. Dion told supporters at a morning rally in Vancouver.

Mr. Dion would not commit to implementing the two ideas, saying he would first want to consult with federal experts after the election.