VZCZCXRO2199
OO RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #1538 3442154
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 092154Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8838
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS OTTAWA 001538 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV CA
SUBJECT: PM HARPER HOPES FOR COOPERATION WITH NEW LIBERAL 
LEADER 
 
REF: OTTAWA 1536 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  In an exclusive CBC interview on December 9, Prime 
Minister Stephen Harper welcomed the Liberal Party to "come 
to the table" and put forward specific suggestions for the 
2009 budget and a likely stimulus package.  He differentiated 
sharply the Liberals, with their decades of governing 
experience, from the New Democratic Party and the Bloc 
Quebecois, and expressed the hope that the Liberals will put 
the interest of the nation first and work with the ruling 
Conservatives on next steps to help the economy and "keep 
Canadians working."  He said that, if they would do this, 
Canada might not face another election for "a couple of 
years."  If, however, the Liberals persisted in advocating a 
coalition with the NDP and the Bloc, Parliament would 
continue to be "unstable."  He insisted that the 
Conservatives had demonstrated they could be "reasonable" by 
listening to opposition complaints about the fall Economic 
and Fiscal Statement's controversial provisions regarding 
federal funding for political parties and limiting the right 
to strike by public servants, ultimately dropping these 
proposals.  He claimed, however, that the three opposition 
parties' effort to form a coalition had nothing to do with 
the actual substance of the economic statement, since they 
had "already decided" beforehand to join together to oppose 
the government.  He pledged that he would never, as Prime 
Minister, put himself in a position where the Bloc Quebecois 
had a "veto" over government policy, since its MPs were "not 
elected to protect the best interests of this country."  He 
said that he would look forward to sitting down with the 
"next Liberal leader," whom he did not name (presumably, 
Michael Ignatieff -- reftel). 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Comment:  It was unusual, but not unprecedented, 
for the Prime Minister to give this exclusive interview 
(especially in mid-afternoon); most likely, the PMO initiated 
the idea and CBC was happy to oblige.  Harper showed few 
signs of the warmer and fuzzier politician that he campaigned 
as, with all his tough talk against the Bloc and the 
coalition, as well as occasional blunt rebukes to the 
interviewer for having cut him off.  He even held out an 
olive leaf, of sorts, by encouraging the opposition -- and 
especially the Liberals -- to offer specific ideas for the 
budget and a stimulus package in hope of reaching a new 
consensus in the face of growing economic problems. 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS