2011-03-24

Harper's Opposition Coalition

On March 23, in the post-budget scrum, Gilles Duceppe explained how Stephen Harper contacted him to negotiate a possible coalition as an alternative to Paul Martin's government:

"In August 2004, [Harper] called me, he called Jack Layton, saying that if Paul Martin was to lose confidence of the House, we'll write to the then Governor General Adrienne Clarkson to tell her that, instead of launching an election, he [sic] should consult the opposition leaders, and the one who finished second--was him--wants to be Prime Minister."

[then, translated from his response in French]

"For Mr Harper now to claim that he's innocent, well, he's the one who laid the theoretical foundation of such an agreement in '04"

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