Canada’s PM sets May 2 date of next election and says people would be ’crazy’ to vote for opposition

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper set May 2 as the date of the next election on Saturday and said people would be "crazy" to vote for opposition parties he accused of trying to illegitimately seize power.

A clearly angry Harper railed against the three opposition parties that brought his minority Conservative government down on Friday. The opposition said the government was tainted by sleaze, had managed the economy poorly and was in contempt of Parliament.

Harper told reporters that if Conservatives don't win a majority in the election, the three opposition parties would form what he called an illegitimate, unstable and reckless coalition.

"They are still trying to keep the door open because they will do it if they get a chance ... you don't try and form a government if you lost the election. That is not legitimate," he said, visibly struggling to curb his temper. Voting for the opposition, he added, "would be crazy, given the circumstances Canada faces".

Harper spoke after visiting Governor General David Johnston - the representative of Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state - to seek the dissolution of Parliament.

Michael Ignatieff, leader of the main opposition Liberal Party, responded by calling Harper a liar. "He wouldn't recognize the truth if it walked up and shook his hand," he told reporters. "(He) is out of touch with the priorities of Canadian families, and he's led a government whose record of waste, contempt and abuse of power has gone out of control."