Conservatives listen in to NDP caucus on coalition

The Conservatives not only listened in they recorded and then released the tape or parts of it. One segment does indicate that the NDP had cleared with the Bloc the idea of forming a coalition with the Liberals if the right opportunity presented itself. That opportunity did present itself with the Flaherty economic update that all three opposition parties reject. Apparently the Conservatives regard all this as a dark plot against the Canadian people and democracy rather than a prudent plan for replacing the Conservatives if they presented policy that none of the opposition parties could accept. The Conservatives must be miffed that the opposition had a resistance plan when they thought they could just run anything they wanted through the Liberals.
The Conservatives have already backed down on their plan to cut public subsidies to parties and also to take away the right to vote to public workers. But there remains the pay equity issue, the equalisation payment cuts, and the sale of crown corporations and perhaps other issues I have not covered. So far there is no movement on these or on providing an immediate stimulus package. It seems doubtful that the Conservatives can or will do much more. The next step will probably be procedural stalling. The first step has already been taking by delaying the vote on their motions until Dec. 8. There are rumours about proroguing parliament but I am told this would need the consent of all parties.
Perhaps the Conservatives may face lawsuits over revealing private conversations among the NDP. I wonder how they got the number to connect to the conference call. There must be lax security in the NDP.

Conservatives listen in to NDP caucus on coalition
2 hours ago
OTTAWA — A Tory insider says a closed-door NDP strategy session on bringing down the government was secretly recorded by the Conservatives after they were mistakenly sent a code for a conference call.
CTV News is reporting that NDP Leader Jack Layton can be heard on the tapes boasting to his caucus that he had prepared scenarios to bring down the government with the help of the Bloc Quebecois well before the Conservatives issued their recent economic statement.
A spokesman for the New Democrats says there is no difference between the latest NDP-Bloc discussions and similar talks aimed at bringing down the Liberal minority government in 2004.
Stephen Harper, who was leader of the Opposition at that time, held lengthy discussions with Layton and Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe aimed at supplanting Paul Martin's Liberal government without an election in the fall of 2004.
NDP spokesman Brad Lavigne says the Conservatives are merely trying to deflect attention from the government losing the confidence of the House of Commons.
Conservative officials were not immediately available to respond to queries about the the recording of the NDP caucus call.