News

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion flatly rejected forming a coalition government with the New Democrats today on the heels of hints from NDP Leader Jack Layton that he'd be open to the idea.

Mr. Dion, speaking after an address to a Vancouver-area business crowd today, said he could not work with Mr. Layton in this way because the NDP leader wants to hike taxes on business.

“We cannot have a coalition with a party that has a platform that would be damaging for the economy. Period,” the Liberal leader said.

He made fun of trouble plaguing some NDP candidates in B.C., joking that Mr. Layton already has a lot of coalitions under way.

“Mr. Layton already has a coalition, I understand. He has a coalition with the nudist party [and] a coalition with the marijuana party,” he said, referring to NDP candidates who'd been outed as having smoked marijuana and one who'd resigned today after it was revealed he'd previously skinny dipped in front of teens.

“He has plenty of [experience] with coalitions.”

During an interview with CTV's Canada AM Monday, Mr. Layton refused to rule out the possibility of entering an alliance with the federal Liberals to prevent another Harper government.

“I've worked with any other party. I think people have seen that. Maybe it goes back to my days on municipal council - you roll up your sleeves and you try to solve a problem,” Mr. Layton said when asked whether he would consider entering a coalition with other parties in Parliament.

Mr. Dion had been less direct in his answer yesterday when asked about Mr. Layton's comments. Today, aides said, he came to the media scrum prepared with the answer he gave.