Stephen Harper insists that his deal with the NDP and Bloc in 2004 to bring down the Martin government and replace it was not a coalition. He calls it a "co-opposition" accord. But, alas, the truth is not always friendly. Tom Flanagan, a former campaign manager for the Conservatives AND chief of staff for Harper said that the point of this "co-opposition" accord was to see if there was common ground to base upon a coalition. It might not have been set in stone, but it was certainly in the making. What else would be the point of this accord? The Tories' insistence that this was not meant to be a coalition is totally unbelievable and typical of the lies that continue to told.
“We respectfully point out,” read the letter, “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.”
Read more at the
National Post.
You might want to check out the Blogging Tories today, where there are least a half-dozen bloggers with quotes from the 2004 press conference or links to the actual CPAC video showing Duceppe and Layton both *denying* that there was any attempt at a coalition. Tom Flanagan hasn't been connected to the Conservative Party for years now and there is no love lost between him and Stephen Harper, so he's about as credible on this issue as Garth Turner would be.
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