Harper has castigated the Liberals, and more directly Ignatieff, for trying to form a coalition with the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois. He points to the 2008 coalition attempt as well as talking about what is going on currently. Here is some of what Haprer has had to say about coalitions.
The opposition has every right to defeat the government but Stéphane Dion does not have the right to take power without an election.
-Prime Minister Stephen Harper gives the nation a lesson in parliamentary democracy from the foyer of the House of Commons (November 28, 2008)
"I think he's about to play the biggest political game in Canadian history," the Prime Minister said, adding that he would not want to have to govern the country in hard times while being beholden to socialists and separatists, referring to the NDP and the Bloc Québécois.
Harper claiming the Liberals were playing political games.
Harper has argued a coalition is not a legitimate or principled way to form government, and he's pointed to the Bloc in particular, arguing Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff shouldn't consider relying on the support of separatists.
The 1st day of the 2011 election.
So, according to Harper a coalition is wrong because it is not legitimate and to form a coalition with the Socialists (NDP) and Separtists (BQ) is just wrong.
That is now ... but in 2004 and 2005 Harper was singing another tune.
He formed a coalition with the NDP and BQ to bring down the Liberal government. He even went so far as to send a letter to the Governor General at the time and talk about forming a coalition government without having another election. This was done just 3 months after the Liberals formed a minority government. The letter said
Excellency,
As leaders of the opposition parties, we are well aware that, given the Liberal minority government, you could be asked by the Prime Minister to dissolve the 38th Parliament at any time should the House of Commons fail to support some part of the government’s program.
We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority.
Your attention to this matter is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.
Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Gilles Duceppe, M.P.
Leader of the Bloc Quebecois
Jack Layton, M.P.
Leader of the New Democratic Party
The very first signature on the letter belongs to Mr. Harper.
That was then and this is now. Harper claims it wasn't a coalition. The parties would just work together but only Tories would be in the cabinet. It was kind of funny to read what one conservative blogger had to say about the coalition Harper made and why it was right.
The governing Liberals had just been implicated in the perhaps the greatest scandal in Canadian history
So you see, my dear Liberal friends, in that context, it was the RESPONSIBILITY of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition to work together to remove a potentially corrupt Government from office
In that context, Mr. Harper's comments are not only defensible, THEY'RE COMMENDABLE, for having gone beyond Party rhetoric to defend the Canadian people.
Well, considering the scandals and controversy, including Harper's obvious contempt for Parliament and the Canadian people, that would make any coalition against him legitimate, defensible, and COMMENDABLE using the logic of my dear Conservative friend.
Sorry Stevie, you can spin it any way and call it roses but it still smells like shit. You are an opportunistic hypocrite.
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