Prime Minister Stephen Harper says a recession is no time to trigger an election, as political instability could undermine any potential economic recovery.
Harper added that the government's number one priority is to take care of the economy, which he said is still fragile after months of job losses.
The prime minister was speaking in Adstock, Que., where he announced a plan to make broadband Internet available in rural areas.
The comments come a day after Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff hinted that he would try to bring down the Tories when Parliament resumes in the fall.
Ignatieff told CTV News Channel on Wednesday that his party was tired of trying to make the minority government work with the Conservatives.
"I have always tried to work with the government, trying to put the country first, but it's getting tougher and tougher, and that's all I'll tell you right now," he said.
Tensions between the two parties over Employment Insurance reform threatened to send Canadians back to the polls for a summer election, but a compromise was worked out just as Parliament broke for the summer.
There has been speculation that the Conservatives will endeavor to hold off any Liberal attacks until the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, where the government will likely benefit from positive publicity.
It's also expected that the economy will begin to grow again within the next year, and some strategists believe the Liberals will have to strike before then if they want a chance to form the next government.
For much of the past year, the Liberal's chief political strategy has been to hammer the Tories on economic troubles.
But a recovery while the Conservatives are still in power would offer Harper and his party a robust defence against the Grits, and potentially deflate some of the political momentum Ignatieff has worked to build since becoming leader.
With files from The Canadian Press
