Another reason to vote against Harper!

This is from the Star.

This gives a couple of good reasons for voting against Harper. First if he loses he will be forced out as leader. Second, if he gets a minority government he is going to act as if he had a majority and pursue his platform anyway. So unless the Liberals are completely supine we will have another election within a short time. Better to electe a Liberal minority. Of course maybe some would argue that a Conservative minority would be good because Dion would be replaced!


Harper hints he may step down if Tories lose election

TheStar.com - Federal Election - Harper hints he may step down if Tories lose election
October 11, 2008 Tonda MacCharlesStaff Reporter
LONGUEIL-Prime Minister Stephen Harper indicated he would not remain as leader of the Conservative party if he doesn't win the election.
In an interview Saturday with the Toronto Sun, Harper was challenged on his claim that the election of the Conservatives is the only way to stop a carbon tax. The reporter asked if it isn't equally possible that a minority Liberal government would be constrained by the opposition of other parties and would even face defeat if it tried to pass its policy.
Harper said he did not believe there would be "any appetite in Parliament or in the public for another election. I think whoever loses the election of the major parties, their party will begin the process of looking for a new leader." But Harper said he would not end up supporting a carbon tax simply to avoid another election.
"I'm running to win this election. If I don't win this election, I'm sure my party will look for another leader," Harper said.
"That's a hypothetical that I'm not prepared to entertain. I'm here to obviously elect an agenda that will stop a carbon tax, and the way to do that is to elect a Conservative government. Don't defeat us then ask us to stop a carbon tax."
Asked directly whether he would step down as leader if he lost this election, he replied: " I think it is inevitable that the party that loses this election will be looking for a new leader."
With polls indicating Harper is likely to win at least a minority government, his reflections appeared equally aimed at suggesting Dion will not be able to survive the loss, having gambled on making a carbon tax part of his "green shift" environment plan. Dion promises to offset the carbon tax with tax cuts.
It is the first time Harper has publicly discussed what could happen if he fails to secure a new mandate, after calling triggering the fall of his own government.
Harper predicted in the interview that whoever wins the election would not have to immediately face another election on a vote of non-confidence.
Asked what would winning a majority enable him to do that he couldn't do in a minority, Harper said "the only difference in the outcome of the election will be how long the next Parliament goes. We've always governed according to our platform, that's what we're going to do regardless. But let me be very clear: I don't think that is really where this election is at."
The comments came as Harper headed into Quebec Saturday to shore up support.
He said the Bloc Québécois has "demonized" him but he believes Quebeckers will see through the labels, and cast a "pragmatic" vote to ensure a seat around his government table.
"Quebeckers understand that just because someone is from Alberta doesn't mean he's a petroliere," told reporters. "Just because someone's a Conservative, doesn't mean he's George Bush. Just because once again someone's from Alberta he's not an oilman anymore than someone from Quebec is automatically a producer of maple syrup."