Joe Oliver says terror threats a growing concern for Canadians

Canada's finance minister is saying publicly what political observers have long suspected: expect to hear the Conservatives talking a lot about national security in the upcoming election campaign.

Joe Oliver told the Manning Networking Conference Friday that the threat of terrorism at home and around the world has become a significant concern for Canadian voters rivalling even the economy, a perennial favourite. The annual event brings small- and big-C conservatives together to discuss strategy and politics.

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Perhaps not coincidentally, Oliver's remarks came on a day when terrorism was on the minds of Canadians, with RCMP Commissioner BobPaulsonbriefingMPsabout the investigation into last year's deadly attack on Parliament Hill.

Oliver told his Ottawa audience that while pocketbook issues remain the top priority for Canadians, national security is a mounting concern.

"The reality is there's a war being conducted by international terrorists, byjihadistterrorists," Oliver said in the question-and-answer session that followed his address.

"That's an issue which you normally don't think about in the context of an election, but it's emerged as something that Canadians are concerned about."

'I'm talking about the economy'

Oliver later dismissed the notion that the government, always keen to burnish its fiscal credentials, would prefer these days to talk about terror threats and public safety than they would the hobbled Canadian economy.

"I'm talking about the economy and I haven't changed the message at all," Oliver told reporters following his appearance.

"But when new facts or threats emerge, the government has a responsibility to respond to them and that's what we're doing.

"It's not my portfolio but others who have that responsibility are responding and the prime minister, of course, is talking about it. This is an issue of importance."

Oliver's department, meanwhile, has been focused on another pressing matter: the negative economic impact of low oil prices.

He delayed the release of the federal budget April at the earliest, he says; it's usually February so his department could get a better handle on just how badly cheaper crude would hurt the economy.

The delay has been beneficial, he acknowledged, because his team knows more now than it did a few months ago.

"It's getting closer, the date is getting closer," said Oliver, who also refused to answer questions about what might be included in the budget.

Oliver's cabinet colleague, Defence Minister JasonKenney, said the government was elected to focus on economic growth and jobs subjects he stressed will remain the top priorities and will be reflected in the upcoming federal budget.

ButKenneysaid it doesn't mean the government shouldn't do something to respond to threats against international and Canadian security such as those posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

"I think it's obvious that the attacks in October were at least inspired by the insane vision ofISIL... a genocidal terrorist organization that has explicitly, and on several occasions, said that it's targeting Canada," he told The Canadian Press on the sidelines of the conference.

Ministers, strategists among other speakers

The Manning Centre's yearly confab brings together like-minded ideological warriors from all points on the conservative spectrum from libertariansto social conservativesto share their views on the state of the movement, both in Canada and internationally.

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InadditiontoOliver,conferenceattendeesalsoheardfromBCPremierChristyClark,YukonPremierDarrellPasloskiandAlberta Premier Jim Prentice, who discussed balancing economic,developmentandenvironmentalcncernsduring a series of one-on-one chats on"energy, environment and the economy" with conference founder and namesakePreston Manning.

Later in the afternoon, Industry Minister James Moore, Treasury Board President Tony Clement, Google Canada representative Colin McKayandpolitical strategist Goldy Hydertook part in a lively panel discussion onhow technology is changing politics

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