Minority gov't could last until 2009: Harper

Allan Woods, CanWest News Service
Published: Wednesday, June 21, 2006

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper believes his minority government has safe passage to run the country well into 2007 -- and perhaps until 2009 -- even though the Liberal party will be "chomping at the bit" to go to an election as soon as it elects a new leader.

In an interview Tuesday with CanWest News Service and Global National, the prime minister said he is confident he can work with the New Democratic Party and capitalize on the weakened Bloc Quebecois to "keep moving our agenda forward."

Speaking in the newly renovated Library of Parliament, Harper admitted working with the sovereigntist party is his "biggest difficulty ... because I still have to work hard to communicate in a second language," but he believes he is making steady progress in implementing his party's agenda and showing Canadians that he can get results.

That could prove the biggest challenge for the next leader of the Liberal party, who will find the political landscape much-changed since the last election, the prime minister said.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=6088e0a9-cfc1-416f-8903-7d325eeafc27&k=39220

up, I am not surprised he is saying this. I can only wonder what back room deal he and Layton have made to accomplish this?

Maybe a similar deal Layton cooked up in a backroom with Martin, or perhaps a similar backroom deal that most of the posters here were alledging regarding the BQ and the Tories...just goes to show that three parties in Parliament can co-operate for the good of Canada and one party, racked by internal dissent and falling poll numbers, can't.

How's that for spin ;-)

at least, it is for Harper, not so good as a response from Layton. Layton garnered a deal on funding for some social programs from Martin, we KNOW social program funding isn't a Harper thing so what COULD Harper offer Layton that would buy him off? It isn't anything obvious, not yet anyway, I guess we will find out in the end.

It sounds to me like Harper, seeing his trust numbers static, no better than before the election, is less enamoured of forcing an election that he was a while ago. My bet is that if his numbers go up, he will reverse his 2009 comment so fast his head will 'spin', lol.

There is no amount of spin that can help the NDP...but hey I'd tried... :-)

I know Layton is on a "annihilate the Liberals" mission, but I just can't see him supporting Harper for more than a year or so. The longer he goes, the more right wing Harper's agenda will become. At some point the contradictions will become too great for Layton.