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The Liberals and the New Democrats were staking out their positions Thursday ahead of a coming vote in Parliament on the question of whether Canada should enter a combat mission against extremists in northern Iraq.

The House of Commons is expected to wrestle with the issue next week, once Prime Minister Stephen Harpers Conservative government lays out what shape it wants the mission to take.

Though parliamentary approval isnt necessary in order to send soldiers into combat or to participate in airstrikes, Harper has already indicated the matter will be subject to both a debate and a vote in the House.

The timing of both remains unclear, although government House leader Peter Van Loan told the Commons on Thursday that routine proceedings would be disrupted next week as a result of the Iraq debate.

The details of a motion that would be the subject of that debate are expected as early as Friday.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said the government has been murky at best in disclosing the truth about Canadas contribution of special forces advisers, a mission with a 30-day window set to close Saturday. As a result, he said, its hard to trust what Harper says about the next steps.

It would interesting to hear some straight answers from the Conservatives, Mulcair said. A lot of what theyve been telling Canadians has been duplicitous on things that are easily verifiable.

It wasnt until earlier this week the government specified that of the 69 special-forces members committed to the operation, only 26 are currently there.

It is believed that what Harper will propose next will be a contribution of fighter aircraft to join the U.S.-led bombing campaign against the militant al-Qaida splinter group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Mulcair didnt entirely rule out the NDP backing such a plan.

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Liberals, NDP plan debate strategy on Iraq mission

Canada could be sending its military into a combat mission in Iraq over the objections of both opposition parties, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper tells the House of Commons Friday what his governments next steps are in the campaign to stop ISIL extremists.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau issued broad hints Thursday that his party, like the NDP, wont be on-side with a combat role.

On Thursday evening the opposition parties were informed that Harper will deliver a statement in the House on Friday outlining Canadas additional support for counter-terrorism efforts against ISIL, said the Prime Ministers Office.

This group has made direct terrorist threats against Canada and Canadians, in addition to carrying out atrocities against children, women, and men in the region, said Harpers spokesman, Jason MacDonald.

As the prime minister has said before, when we recognize a threat like this that must be addressed, and that involves Canadian interests, we do our part.

He said Harpers statement will outline Canadas contribution to thecounter-terrorism operation, as well as our ongoing humanitarian support. A motion will be introduced in Parliament thatMPs will debate, and vote on, Monday.

In a speech at a conference hosted by think-tank Canada 2020 Thursday, Trudeau agreed that this country must play a role in the battle against ISIL. The Liberal leader spoke in favour of Canada helpingin a variety of ways: non-combat training; airlift transport; medical aid; and humanitarian aid for refugees.

But he said Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not yet explained why a combat mission involving CF-18 fighter bombers should be part of the Canadian response to the crisis.

Trudeauaccused the prime minister of playing politics and refusing to address key questions.

Mr. Harper is intent on taking Canada to war in Iraq. He needs to justify that. He has not made the case for it. He hasnt even tried, Trudeau said.

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Liberals hint they'll oppose combat mission in Iraq

A string of national polls released this week suggests the Conservatives are falling further behind the Liberals as Justin Trudeau's party pulls away.

The first came from an unexpected source. Angus Reid Global has stood apart from other Canadian polling firms since the beginning of the year in suggesting that the race has been a close one between the Liberals and Conservatives. It was the only polling firm to give the Conservatives the edge in any poll this year.

But a survey released by the firm on Monday showed the Liberals picking up six points since Angus Reid's previous survey of early June, moving into the lead with 36 per cent to 30 per cent for the Conservatives. The New Democrats dropped five points to 22 per cent.

On Wednesday, Abacus Data reported its latest findings. It put the Liberals in the lead with 38 per cent support, up three points since Abacus's last poll from mid-August. The Conservatives were up one point to 30 per cent, while the NDP was also up a single point to 23 per cent. This continued a positive trend for the Liberals dating from the end of June and early July, while both the Conservatives and New Democrats have been wobbling back and forth since then.

A survey by EKOS Research for iPolitics that was also published Wednesdayshowslittle change from the company's July poll. The Liberals slipped less than half a point to 38.3 per cent from 38.7 per cent, while the Conservatives were down 0.7 points to 24.9 per cent, and the NDP was up one point to 24.4 per cent.

These were insignificant shifts, but the margin between the two leading parties had increased to 13.4 points. By comparison, the gap stood at 7.3 points in an EKOS poll from April-May, before the Conservatives began to slip and the Liberals moved ahead.

Though the surveys from Angus Reid and Abacus Data were in general agreement, the poll by EKOS is at odds concerning the standings of the Conservatives. Granted, the polls were done at slightly different times (see methodological statements below). But posting the Conservatives at below 25 per cent, as EKOS has done, marks a new low for the party.

In fact, no poll has pegged the Tories this low since 2005, before Stephen Harper became prime minister.

This is not necessarily a sign the Conservatives are hitting the skids.

EKOS has been registering Conservative support to be lower than other firms for some time. The party was at just 25.6 per cent in EKOS's July poll, so the new number represents a marginal decrease rather than a reason for the Tories to panic.

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Justin Trudeau's Liberals widening lead on Conservatives, polls suggest

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