Prime Minister Stephen Harper slammed opposition parties Friday for stalling the Conservatives' accountability bill and trying to gut legislation that cracks down on crime.

Speaking to the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, Stephen Harper accused the three opposition parties of supporting a crime crackdown during the election, but reneging now that the legislation is before them.

"If the opposition disagrees with us, they should do it in the open, not in some committee meeting, not in the unelected senate, not by endlessly stalling a democratic vote," he said.

Opposition parties are essentially voting to allow criminals an option to serve their sentences at home after committing break-ins or car thefts, Harper said.

The Conservatives' bill, introduced in May, would eliminate house arrest for serious crimes and mandate prison sentences for crimes involving guns.

Amendments the opposition parties adopted at a Commons justice committee would still require imprisonment for violent and sexual offences, but would allow house arrest for nonviolent crimes such as car theft and breaking and entering.

Harper also accused the Liberals of "playing games" to stall the Conservatives' Accountability Act.

He said the opposition parties can force an election if they don't approve of his performance and blamed unelected senators for stalling the Conservatives' accountability bill.

"After stalling the Accountability Act in the Senate for over four months, the Liberals are trying to overturn major anti-corruption reforms by using their unelected majority, in that undemocratic, antiquated institution," Mr. Harper said.

Their attempt to modify the bill demonstrated the need for an elected senate, he argued.

The Conservative government has only managed to pass four laws since taking power. But Liberals said the Conservatives only have themselves to blame for the slow pace in Parliament.

One example was a 120-minute monologue by a Conservative MP, that delayed the environment committee as it prepared to work on an opposition bill, The Canadian Press reported.

Liberals also complained of similar delaying tactics within the Industry and House affairs committees.

"The government has made a considerable effort to try to create the impression of some kind of a stall (by the Opposition)," said Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale.

"That impression is factually incorrect."

Meanwhile, he argued that Harper himself once said it was the role of the Opposition to modify government legislation in a minority Parliament.

Two years ago, Harper said: "I will always bear in mind that the people express their wishes as much through the Opposition as through the government."

He also opined in 2004 that: "It's not the responsibility of the Official Opposition to support the entire program of the government. Two-thirds of Canadians did not vote for this government. The Liberal party can't expect to walk in and simply propose its own program that only one-third of Canadians supported and expect that everybody's going to vote for it."

With files from The Canadian Press