LAVAL, Que. — Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe is accusing Stephen Harper of hypocrisy in his attacks against coalition governments.
Duceppe says Harper did everything he is now accusing the opposition parties of when he was the leader of the Opposition in 2004.
In an angry denunciation of Harper’s latest explanation of his attempt to usurp the Paul Martin government seven years ago, Duceppe says the prime minister also once sought a form of coalition of losers to oust the Liberal prime minister.
And he says he was attempting to become prime minister as head of the second most popular party, without the benefit of an election.
Duceppe said Harper proposed the three leaders — Harper, himself and the NDP’s Jack Layton — co-operate on strategy before sending a letter to the governor general to consider alternatives in case the Martin government fell.
One agreement was not to ask any questions on the just tabled Liberal budget, and instead focus on attacking Martin over the sponsorship scandal.
Duceppe said if Harper had been successful, he would have needed the support of the NDP and the Bloc to govern and that he was prepared to compromise.