Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives at Rideau Hall to speak with the Governor General Michaelle Jean in Ottawa on Thursday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tom Hanson
©2008 Google - Map data ©2008 Tele Atlas - Terms of UseGovernor General agrees to suspend Parliament
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OTTAWA — Stephen Harper has won his battle to hang on as prime minister - at least until January.
Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean agreed Thursday to Harper's request to shut down Parliament until he can present a budget late next month.
The decision pulls the teetering minority Conservative government a step back from the edge of a political precipice.
The Tories no longer have to face a non-confidence vote in the House of Commons on Monday that would likely have brought down the government.
But they will face another confidence test after the House returns Jan. 26 - with a budget the next day - setting up the prospect of a fierce battle for public support over the coming weeks.
Harper, whose provocative, trip-wire laden economic statement last week precipitated the political meltdown, is once again talking about co-operation with the opposition.
"Today's decision will give us an opportunity - I'm talking about all the parties - to focus on the economy and work together," Harper said after leaving Rideau Hall.
The Conservatives immediately prorogued , ending all debate.
Prorogation ends a parliamentary session and allows the government to start again at a later date with a fresh throne speech. It typically happens when a government has exhausted its legislative agenda, not before it's even begun.
But it also limits the government's spending powers at a time of economic crisis.
The opposition coalition had asked Jean to refuse to prorogue, arguing that Harper no longer enjoys the confidence of the House of Commons.
The prime minister - his job on the line - spent more than two hours at Rideau Hall talking with Jean.
The Governor General had already been consulting with constitutional experts about her options.
In an extraordinary televised address to Canadians on Wednesday night, Harper argued against the legitimacy of a coalition government.
But he admitted no errors in judgment and offered no new economic measures to placate the opposition.
Harper used his TV speech to condemn the participation of the Bloc Quebecois in supporting the formal Liberal-NDP coalition.
"This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists," said Harper, who flirted with the separatist Bloc in 2004 as the Liberal government of Paul Martin was tottering.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion responded to Harper with a pre-taped speech that was provided to broadcasters woefully late Wednesday evening - a poorly framed, out-of-focus effort reminiscent of a YouTube video.
"Stephen Harper still refuses to propose measures to stimulate the Canadian economy," Dion said in the video. "His mini-budget last week demonstrated that his priority is partisanship and settling ideological scores.
"The Harper Conservatives have lost the confidence of the majority of members of the House of Commons. In our democracy, in our parliamentary system, in our Constitution, this means that they have lost the right to govern."
NDP Leader Jack Layton said "Harper has broken trust with the Canadian people."
Buying time may well work in the prime minister's favour, as cracks in the unwieldy alternative governing alliance are already evident.
A formal Liberal-NDP entente, supported by the Bloc Quebecois, was forwarded to the Governor General this week stating the case that it can win the confidence of Canada's elected representatives and is prepared to govern if the Conservatives fall.
But it's a fragile consensus.
The cooling off period requested by Harper would, perhaps, also allow overheated rhetoric to chill.
At least one Conservative MP was alluding to treason and sedition on Wednesday, prompting Premier Jean Charest to wade in from Quebec's provincial election trail.
"I live in a society where people can be federalist or sovereigntist but they respect each other," Charest said in Quebec City. "The same should be true in the federal Parliament."
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell said the Tories should be permitted to present a budget to Canadians before Parliaments expresses confidence or not in the Harper government.
Three major unions - the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, the United Steelworkers and the Canadian Auto Workers - countered that Jean should give the coalition a chance to govern Canada.
In a joint statement Thursday, leaders of the three unions said proroguing Parliament "would further derail the economy at a time when drastic support is needed."
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