Conservative campaign spokesperson Kory Teneycke says Stephen Harper is the man to trust

Conservative campaign spokesman Kory Teneycke says Stephen Harper is "the best-positioned leader with the best experience and the best track record to manage our economy and keep Canadians safe."

Asked why Canadians should put their trust in Harper's stay the course approach despite his record of seven consecutive budget deficits, Teneycke points to the 2008 financial crisis. "We ran series of deficits, declining over time...which I think was the approach to dealing with that." 

Nor does Teneycke believe that the Mike Duffy fraud trial will be a pivotal issue come election day. The trial has heard testimony from Benjamin Perrin, the former legal adviser to the Prime Minister's Office. Perrin gave evidence that several of Harper's top aides, including his current chief of staff Ray Novak, knew of and participated in a scheme to deceive Canadians about the senator's expenses.

Teneycke tells As It Happens host Carol Off, "I think this will factor into people's view of the government."

But he says, "I ultimately do not think that this is central to the question before us."

"I think the campaign will be decided on the economy and other larger issues."

One of those larger issues appears to be the tragedy facing Syria's millions of refugees. Asked why the government is not sending more staff to process those refugees so they can come to Canada and to other countries, Teneycke says, "When it comes to specific ways to speed it up, we're looking at a whole range of things but I leave [Immigration Minister] Chris Alexander to speak to the details."