Tom Mulcair on the niqab debate: 'I saw that coming'

With one week to go before the election, NDP Leader Tom Mulcairsaid "nothing" about his first national campaign has surprised him even the contentious issue of the niqab.

"I knew that Stephen Harper had been planning to play identity politics so I decoded right away that this was going to be an ugly campaign. I saw that coming,"Mulcairtold CBC News Network'sPower & Politicshost Rosemary Barton in an interview airing Sunday.

"[Harper] hasbeen putting the race card on the table in this campaign," he added.

The niqabhasdominated political debate in the last few weeks of the campaign.The Federal Court of Appeal last month struck downa 2011 Conservative ban onwearing the Muslim veilwhile taking the citizenship oath.

• Niqab ban at citizenship ceremonies unlawful, as Ottawa loses appeal
• Quebec tables new religious neutrality bill banning face coverings

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has said his partywill examine a wider ban on the niqab for federalpublic servants,in line with proposed Quebec legislationthe federal Conservatives have publicly supported in the past.

"I think it is a made-up issue, with respect to Mr. Harper saying this week that he was going to ban the face covering in the federal civil service," Mulcairsaid.

He also dismissed the proposed bill put forth by Quebec's Liberal government, telling Barton: "I don't see what that has to do with this federal campaign."

"I have confidence that in their heart of hearts,Quebecersknow that being good to each other and respectful of each others' differences, whether it be religious, cultural or linguistic, is the proper way to build for the future," he said.

"The courts have ruled in this case and once the courts have ruled, it's no longer a question of what you like or what you don't like," he added.

"I understand it's sensitive. I understand people find it surprising and it makes them uncomfortable. But the courts have ruled."

Balanced budget commitment

TheNDP'sdecision to promise four years of balanced budgets if elected stemmed from hisown position on fiscal management, Mulcair said.

"When I explained my position to the party that we have to be good, prudentpublic administrators if we aspire to form government the party and the membership agreed with me,"Mulcairsaid in the interview.

Balancing the budget is something hehas "always believed in," Mulcair added.

"I don't believe that we can do these things on the backs of future generations," he said. "As a social democrat, the number one thing I have to do, I firmly believe, is to reduce inequality in our society and at the same time create opportunity."

'A better deal'

Mulcair also doubled down on his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

"We're against Mr. Harper's negotiated TPP. We would never bring that one to Parliament, we'll try to get a better deal," he said.

Mulcairdismissed concerns that raising corporate taxes for big businessesfrom 15 per cent to 17 an NDP election promisecould exacerbate "tens of thousands" of job losses hehas said could come about as a result of the TPP.

• Spin Cycle: Is the NDP's proposed corporate tax hike a 'job killer'?

"There's no credible evidence of that," he said. "We've lost 400,000 manufacturing jobs under Mr. Harper. If corporate tax reductions were going to be good for jobs, we wouldn't have lost [those] jobs."

Raising corporate taxes while lowering personal taxes remains a commitment ofthe New Democrats in contrast to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, he said.

"Mr. Trudeau is proposing personal tax increases.I am opposed to raising personal income taxes in Canada, firmly opposed to it, and I believe that tax breaks to Canada's wealthiest corporations are what we should be going after."

Trudeau has promised a Liberal government will raise personal income taxes on individual incomes over $200,000 a year while at the same time reducing rates for middle income earners.

No co-operationwith Liberals

Mulcaircontinued to highlight the differences between himself and Trudeau throughout the interview.

"Only the NDP is offering real change," he said, adding that he doesn't see working with the Liberals in a potential future coalition as realistic.

For Trudeau's part, the Liberal leader has flatly ruled out a formal Liberal-NDP coalition if no party has a majority after the Oct. 19 vote.

Mulcair said his own efforts to reach out to Trudeau have been rejected.

"Every time I've opened the door to co-operation, Mr.Trudeautakes it upon himself to personally slam that door shut, not just close it," he told Barton.

But Mulcair said he has one person in mind in the week ahead.

"I'll tell you this straight up my priority is to get rid of Stephen Harper," he said.