Prime Minister Stephen Harper has indicated he has no plans for any significant economic or other policy changes to secure New Democratic Party support to avert a potential fall election, NDP Leader Jack Layton said Tuesday.
At the same time, Layton expressed skepticism the Liberals will try to trigger a fall election, because they have cried wolf so many times. If the Liberals do try to defeat the government, he said, the NDP would be the "least likely" party to support the Tories.
Layton spoke at a news conference after a private meeting with Harper, at Layton's request, to discuss the Sept. 14 resumption of Parliament.
In related political jockeying, Harper's officials attempted to portray Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff as a proponent of a coalition with the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois, even though Ignatieff has distanced himself from the coalition of his predecessor Stephane Dion. Harper's office issued a statement accusing Ignatieff of making a "blatantly false" assertion that he has spoken only of co-operating, not forming a coalition, with the other parties.
The Liberals denied the claim.
Layton said Harper did nothing to court him as an ally in advance of a session in which the Liberals are contemplating a non-confidence vote in late September or early October, triggering a November election if the NDP and Bloc voted with them.
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