From: brewnoser2@gmail.com   
      
   But Justin Trudeau has been known to 'prop up' the Harper Cons on many   
   occasions.  Bill C-51 was the most recent - and was a real 'biggee'.   
      
   It's one of the reasons that Canadians should not have a hard time picking an   
   alternative to the Harper government if they truly want the Cons gone.   
   ________________________________   
   CBC News Posted: Sep 22, 2015   
      
   Tom Mulcair says not a 'snowball's chance in hell' he'll support Harper   
   minority   
      
   Answering identical questions, NDP and Liberal leaders say no way they'd prop   
   up a Tory minority government   
      
      
   Tom Mulcair has joined Justin Trudeau in ruling out any circumstances in which   
   his party might help prop up Stephen Harper if Conservatives are re-elected   
   but with only a minority of seats.   
      
   "There isn't a snowball's chance in hell," Mulcair said Wednesday.   
      
   "I think that anybody who's attended a single question period over the course   
   of the last several years would be able to tell you that there's no likelihood   
   that the NDP would, under any circumstance, be able to support Mr. Harper."   
      
   Mulcair listed several reasons, including Harper's "divisive politics,"   
   "backward economics" and inaction on climate change.   
      
   If Harper's party has the most seats after the election, Conservatives would   
   continue to govern.  However, it's hard to see how they'd survive confidence   
   motions or pass a budget given the latest strong words from the leaders of the   
   other two parties    
   likely to hold enough seats to broker for power.   
      
   At a campaign stop in downtown Montreal on Tuesday, Trudeau also ruled out his   
   party's help.   
      
   "Should Canadians take it for granted that you will automatically vote against   
   a Conservative speech from the throne?" the Liberal leader was asked.   
      
   "I have spent my entire political career       [since April 2007   (=_=)   
   anyway]   
    fighting against Mr. Harper's narrow and meaner vision of what Canada can be   
   and what the government should do.   
      
   "There are no circumstances in which I would support Stephen Harper to   
   continue being prime minister of this country," Trudeau said.   
      
   If the Conservatives lose a confidence vote, including one on the budget,   
   there are two options: another party or parties could be asked to form a   
   government that has enough support to pass confidence votes in the House of   
   Commons or Canadians could head    
   back to the polls to reconsider.   
      
      
   No interest in formal coalition   
      
   Trudeau was also asked whether there was any circumstance in which he would   
   support an NDP government.  He didn't directly answer, but suggested he might   
   support such a government on a case by case, or bill by bill, basis.   
      
   "The Liberal Party has always been open in minority situations to working with   
   other members of the House to pass legislation that serves Canadians," he said.   
      
   Trudeau has repeatedly said he is not interested in any formal coalition with   
   the NDP -- in fact, he has said he is "unequivocally opposed."   
      
   In an interview with CBC's chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge, he said the   
   party that wins the most seats should get the first shot at governing, meaning   
   if the Tories won the most seats but still only had a minority,   
   Trudeau wouldn't join forces with the NDP in a formal coalition to topple   
   Harper.   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
      
   His comments Tuesday did nothing to contradict that assertion, nor do they   
   preclude working with the NDP if that party was in power in a minority   
   situation.   
      
   Tom Mulcair, for his part, has suggested in the past he's open to a coalition   
   with the Liberals.  However, he said talks about such an arrangement have   
   failed, as Trudeau "has slammed the door shut conclusively every time we've   
   raised that."   
      
   "My priority is to get rid of Stephen Harper," Mulcair told Mansbridge in   
   another interview.  "Apparently Justin Trudeau's priority is to get rid of me."   
      
      
   Harper: If elected, 'I intend to serve'   
      
   Harper, meanwhile, has been vocal in denouncing coalitions, saying they are   
   illegitimate ways to form government.  He told Mansbridge that he would cease   
   to be prime minister if his party comes a close second in the election,   
   signaling  he would not    
   resort to any procedural tactics to remain in power.   
      
   If Harper wishes to campaign against the threat of a NDP-Liberal plot to bring   
   down a Conservative minority government against voters' wishes -- a rhetorical   
   flourish and persuasive strategy used to good effect in the past -- Mulcair   
   and Trudeau's latest    
   comments provide the sort of proof he needs as ammunition.   
      
   At a campaign stop in Winnipeg on Tuesday, he seemed somewhat circumspect   
   about his own long-term political future.  He was asked if he was committed to   
   leading the Conservative Party for four more years in the event of a majority   
   government.   
      
   "I always say whatever verdict the people deliver, we will respect the   
   verdict, and obviously if I am elected, I intend to serve."   
      
   Serve the whole four years?  He didn't explicitly say, at least raising the   
   possibility he could exit before his term expires.   
      
   Video of his response:   
   http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-coalition-g   
   vernment-canada-election-party-leaders-1.3238875   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)