RICHMOND HILL, Ont. — Conservative leader Stephen Harper refused Saturday to say whether he would accept a decision by the Governor General to hand power to the opposition parties after Monday’s election if a majority isn’t reached.

The development came at a news conference held by Harper just two days before Canadians go to the polls.

Throughout the five-week campaign, Harper has, on a daily basis, said that the opposition parties will form a coalition government if he is handed another minority in Monday’s vote.
When pressed Saturday, Harper would not say whether he would publicly accept or oppose a decision by Gov. Gen. David Johnson if that were to happen.

Under constitutional tradition, say experts, if Harper is defeated in the House of Commons by the opposition parties, it will then be up to Johnston to decide whether he wants to ask one of the opposition leaders if they have the “confidence” of the House, allowing them to form a government.

Only upon that invitation by the Governor General would a new government be formed, meaning it is Johnston — not Harper — who has the constitutional power to decide if a coalition or alliance of opposition parties forms a government.

At a campaign event Saturday attended by several candidates and a small crowd of supporters, Harper continually raised the spectre of an “NDP-led government” that would ruin the economy and impose massive tax hikes on Canadians.

Immediately afterwards, Harper was asked a direct question: “Will you or will you not accept a decision by the Governor General to call on the second party to form a government if you again lose the confidence of the House?”

“Well, I’m not . . . as you know, going to get into those kinds of speculations,” he said.

“We’re running . . . to win. I am confident we are going to win. But I think the choice is very clear and it’s very close.”

Harper, who marked his 52nd birthday on Saturday, reiterated that the election will either produce a Conservative government that “will keep taxes low” or an “NDP-led government, which will raise taxes and which will hurt the Canadian economy.”

Despite being asked repeatedly by a reporter to answer the question, Harper declined.

“As I’ve said before, I’m not going to speculate on hypotheticals,” he said. “What we’re doing now is not speculating on hypothetical scenarios.”

In recent weeks, Harper has said an effort by opposition parties to form a government would be “illegitimate” and the only proper way for them to take power would be through a mandate received in another election.

His refusal to answer the question Saturday raises fundamental questions about whether Harper might provoke a constitutional crisis in the wake of an election.

It’s possible, perhaps even likely, that if he wins a minority government and is defeated in the House, he will urge the Governor General to quickly call another election.

What’s unclear now is whether he would publicly accept a decision by Johnston to avoid another election and hand power to one of the opposition parties — likely, according to the polls, to Jack Layton’s NDP.

When a CBC reporter continued to press for an answer Saturday, Harper shot back: “I’ve given you my answer.”

Someone in the crowd shouted out “Shut down the CBC!” prompting cheers from Harper’s supporters.

Harper has been steadily stepping up the tone of his attacks on the NDP, accusing the party on Saturday of having “radical economic policies” and of proposing an “extreme” platform that would devastate Canada.

Throughout his speech and the following news conference, Harper repeatedly aimed his fire at Layton’s New Democrats, accusing the party of “promising the moon” through an unaffordable platform that will cost $70 billion and lead to massive tax hikes.

“We’re talking about a national NDP today that has radical economic policies that would raise taxes, that would kill jobs and would set families back,” said Harper.

“The NDP platform is not the platform of a governing party. It consists of enormous, completely unrealistic and unaffordable expenditure hikes. Some $70 billion — I think those are, frankly, very lowball estimates — and vast increases in taxes to pay for them.”

Harper noted that he has now been prime minister for five years.

Harper said he knows that he cannot promise $70 billion, like the NDP has, because he knows, as an economist, what it will mean.

“I know . . . that the tax increases that go with that will be felt and paid by working Canadian families who would end up worse off,” he said. “You cannot pretend otherwise if you are prime minister, and anyone who does not understand that is not ready to be prime minister.”

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David Johnson could single-handedly ruin this country. Let's hope it never comes to that. Canada needs a Harper majority.

-J.

Harper said he knows that he cannot promise $70 billion, like the NDP has, because he knows, as an economist, what it will mean.

You can bet he'll try something, like when he prorogued last time. If the Bloc isn't a factor this time, maybe more Canadians will begin to see him for the tyrant he is.

Using words like 'tyrant' to describe the PM of a democratic country during an election makes you sound retarded.

I woulda gone with 'fascist' or maybe 'capitalist pig'
or perhaps 'dick'

I woulda gone with 'fascist' or maybe 'capitalist pig'





or perhaps 'dick'

Using words like 'tyrant' to describe the PM of a democratic country during an election makes you sound retarded.