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Harper intent on fall election, Duceppe says after meeting prime minister

Canadian Press Article online since August 28th 2008, 23:00
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Harper intent on fall election, Duceppe says after meeting prime minister
Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe responds to a question a news conference Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008 in Montreal. Duceppe called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to recall parliament in order to create a trust fund to help Canada's manufacturing sector. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
OTTAWA - Bloc Quebecois Gilles Duceppe emerged from a meeting with Stephen Harper on Friday to say the prime minister is intent on calling a fall election.
Duceppe says there are ways the Conservative minority could work with various opposition parties to pass legislation, as it has over the last two years, but that Harper "absolutely" wants to go the polls now.
"His plan is made. He wants an election. Period," Duceppe said Friday outside the gates of the prime minister's official residence at 24 Sussex Drive.
Duceppe said his meeting with Harper was amicable and covered a range of legislative projects currently before Parliament.
"But I still maintain his plan was made before," said the Bloc leader.
"Instead of making efforts to try finding solutions in the best interest of the population, he wants an election in the best interest of his party."
Harper has requested talks with all the opposition leaders, claiming he's seeking the green light for his minority government's fall legislative agenda.
But given the acrimonious partisan climate in Ottawa, the meetings appear designed to present Harper with the pretext for an immediate election call - providing the prime minister with an excuse to ignore his own government's fixed-election-date law that would see Canadians go to the polls in October 2009.
NDP Leader Jack Layton meets the prime minister on Saturday, leaving the Liberals' Stephane Dion as the lone opposition holdout.
Dion has said he'll be happy to meet Harper after the Sept. 8 byelections and before Parliament's scheduled resumption Sept. 15, but that timetable does not appear to suit the prime minister's push for an imminent election call.
Most observers are predicting Harper will go to Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean sometime late next week to dissolve Parliament, with the general election date set for mid-October.
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