A Liberal backbencher is calling Prime Minister Jean Chretien's threat to call an election over the issue of political donations nothing more than "brinkmanship and bravado."

Toronto-area MP Dan McTeague, a longtime critic of the prime minister, says Chretien is using the wrong tactic as he tries to unite a Liberal caucus split in the past year by leadership issues.

Chretien wants all donations to political parties by corporation and trade unions banned and told the Ottawa Citizen on Monday he will make the issue a matter of confidence in his government.

"Are you going to run the government for the next year by the petulant use of confidence at every turn?'' McTeague told Canadian Press. "How far do we want to go on this?''

The prime minister said his talk of a possible early election wasn't a threat, but "a reality."

"I'm in a very good position. I never felt in a stronger position than I am right now. Because, you know, they can defeat me in the House and there's an election," the paper quoted Chretien as saying.

Chretien's campaign finance legislation is expected to be introduced soon after Parliament resumes next week.

The legislation has already been dismissed by the president of the Liberal Party, Stephen LeDrew, as being "dumber than a bag of hammers."

But, any reluctant Liberal MPs would be forced to tow the party line or risk being plunged into a premature election by defeating the government on a confidence vote.

The Liberals hold a majority of seats in the House of Commons, so the only way Chretien could be defeated is if members of his own party vote with the opposition.

Montreal Liberal MP Nick Discepola said there are no clear rules for what constitutes confidence in the government but told CP it should be based on more than "the whim of the prime minister."

The issue of confidence in the government usually precedes votes on federal budget or major pieces of legislation outlined in a speech from the throne, such as last month's vote on the Kyoto environmental accord.

Last fall, more than 50 Liberal MPs voted against the government and helped defeat a minor procedural issue regarding the election of the chairs of Parliamentary committees.

"I don't believe for a moment we should go to the Canadian electorate because we couldn't get a law through on party financing," Discepola said.

The government is expected to introduce major changes to the Canada Elections Act soon after Parliament returns from its Christmas break on Jan. 27.

Chretien has said he will retire as prime minister in Feb. 2004 and former Finance Minister Paul Martin is generally considered the front runner in the race to succeed the outgoing PM.

But Martin supporters are said to be wary of a snap election. If Chretien were to bring Canadians to the polls early, it could jeopardize the succession.

Either the prime minister would win and possibly carry on, or the Liberals could lose their majority -- neither of which would be attractive to Martin backers.

A recent poll published in the Toronto Star put the Liberals at 52.1 per cent support among Canadian voters, compared to 13.8 per cent for the Progressive Conservatives and 13.6 per cent for the New Democrats.

The Canadian Alliance received 10.5 per cent support, while the Bloc Quebecois came in at 6.9 per cent.

But, 25.8 percent of voters said they had yet to make up their minds.