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Stephen Harper's Conservatives are rolling out radio ads suggesting it's un-Canadian for the Liberal NDP coalition to replace them in government. It's the first stage of a Tory hearts-and-minds campaign to win over public support for remaining in power.

And Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is endorsing the proposed coalition government and says she has spoken with Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion about the possibility of her being appointed to the Senate.

"Last election, Stéphane Dion gave his word. He said his Liberals would never form a coalition with the NDP," the English-language Conservative radio spot says. "But now he's cut a deal with the NDP and he's working with separatists to make it happen. He even thinks he can take power without asking you, the voter."

The Tory ad suggests it's unacceptable in Canada to take over a government without an election, even though Parliamentary rules allow it.

"This is Canada. Power must be earned, not taken," the ad concludes.

The Conservative spot uses a speech from Mr. Dion during the last election campaign in which he ruled out a coalition with the NDP. "You cannot have a coalition with a party that has a platform that would be damaging for the economy, period," he says in the clip.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Canadian Labour Congress countered, coming out out with a series of 16 radio ads supporting the coalition and calling for Canadians to attend rallies to show their support for the proposed new government.

The ads are to be broadcast Wednesday. One that was obtained by The Globe and Mail has a female voice saying:

"Canada is facing a global economic crisis. Canadians are worried about their jobs. During the election, Stephen Harper told us he would make a minority Parliament work and put our economy first. He has failed. He has no plan to protect jobs and help the economy. He has lost the support he needs to remain Prime Minister. Support a stronger vision for Canada. Support a new coalition government that will give our country leadership and hope. "

A male voice then says: "This ad is brought to you by the working people of Canada and the Canadian Labour Congress. Come to the rally on Parliament Hill Thursday at noon."

Ms. May, meanwhile, said Tuesday she is launching a website to encourage public support for the coalition. She also urged Mr. Harper not to end the current session Parliament before the confidence vote scheduled for Monday Dec. 8.

"There is no reason for delay," the Green Party Leader said. "Mr. Harper may run, but he cannot hide. He has lost the confidence of the House."

Earlier, Governor-General Michaëlle Jean announced she is cutting short a state visit to Central Europe to return to Canada on Wednesday "in light of the current political situation in Canada."

Government supporters said they are planning rallies across the country and will go door-to-door to gather signatures on a petition protesting against the deal that could lead to the Conservatives' ouster as early as next week by a coalition that would make Mr. Dion interim prime minister. Rally locations will include Rideau Hall — home of the Governor-General — and Parliament Hill. Sources say broadcast or print advertising is also a possibility.

"It's a PR war now," one senior Conservative said.

They're fighting a coalition pact under which the Liberals would share cabinet seats with the New Democratic Party for the first time in history, with Mr. Dion handing over the prime minister's job in May to whichever candidate — Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae or Dominic Leblanc — wins the Liberal leadership race in May.

Rank-and-file Tories, many of whom are upset with the Prime Minister's Office for precipitating the crisis, were nevertheless united yesterday in efforts to fight the opposition coalition. At a Tory staff Christmas party last night, a feisty Mr. Harper referred to the coalition as the "nightmare before Christmas."

During Question Period on Tuesday, both sides traded fierce barbs. "The highest principle of Canadian democracy is that if you want to be prime minister, you get your mandate from the Canadian people — not from Quebec separatists" Mr. Harper thundered across the aisle at Mr. Dion.

The Liberal Leader responded by quoting the prime minister's own words from 2005, when Mr. Harper as Opposition leader said avoiding confidence votes in the Commons was a "'violation of fundamental constitutional policies and principles in our system.'

"Is he in agreement with himself?" Mr. Dion needled.

One controversial measure open to the Tories would be to prorogue Parliament, ending the current session and setting a date in 2009 for a new one.

Asked whether proroguing Parliament is an option, Environment Minister Jim Prentice, speaking to reporters after a conversation with Mr. Harper, indicated that it is being considered. "The government will consider all steps that are reasonable to protect the interests of the country, and the interests of Canadians, particularly in these uncertain economic times," he said.

The Tories are planning to argue that their seven-week-old government must be allowed to stay in power or, failing that, Canadians should decide in a new election who is in charge.

The Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois, which together hold more than half of the seats in the Commons, yesterday signed a historic accord that would support a Liberal-led coalition government for at least 18 months.

They also sent a letter to the Governor-General, indicating they are ready to take over as the government from the Tories.

It is an odd alliance: Mr. Dion, the anti-separatist crusader who authored the landmark Clarity Act and Mr. Duceppe, whose party advocates an independent Quebec.

They said they were taking this extraordinary action because the Harper government failed to deliver an economic-stimulus package in its fall fiscal update.

Eighteen of the coalition government's cabinet ministers would be Liberals and six would be New Democrats. The Bloc would not formally be a part of the coalition and would back it to the end of June, 2010.

In a press conference with Mr. Dion and Mr. Duceppe, NDP Leader Jack Layton urged Mr. Harper to accept his fate, and not create instability by fighting tooth and nail.

"Prime Minister, your government has lost the confidence of the House. And it is going to be defeated at the earliest opportunity in the House of Commons. I urge you to accept this gracefully," he said.

Mr. Dion said Mr. Harper has only himself to blame.

"If he lost the support of the House, it's his own fault. It's because he did not know how to present a government that faced the economic crisis we're now in. And because he said one thing and its opposite to the point where no one could believe him any longer."

Mr. Harper set the tone for the Tory response yesterday, chiding the Liberals as the "party of Laurier and Trudeau" for being in league with leftists and separatists, and saying he believes his government's fate should not be decided until it has presented an economic-stimulus package in a Jan. 27 budget.

"I would certainly not want to find myself governing this economy today … under a situation where I was required to follow socialist economics and be at the behest of the veto of the separatists."

The Liberals, NDP and Bloc together outnumber the Tories in the Commons. The Liberals have 77 seats, the New Democrats 37 and the Bloc 49, giving them 163 votes versus the Conservatives' 143.

Monday is expected to be the first chance for the coalition to defeat the Conservatives. The Tories delayed confidence votes on their fall fiscal update until that date when it became clear opposition parties meant to push them from power.

Although the opposition pact calls for the Liberals and NDP to share power until June, 2011, Mr. Duceppe said the Bloc Québécois would not guarantee its support beyond June, 2010, because the other two parties would not make concessions on actions to reflect Quebec's recognition as a nation.

The Bloc will support the coalition on automatic confidence matters such as Throne Speeches and budgets, but will vote freely otherwise.

The coalition agreement calls for an economic stimulus package including infrastructure spending; money for housing; aid to key sectors such as manufacturing; auto and forestry sectors; funding for skills training; and support for unemployed older workers.

But Mr. Dion said leaders could not say when stimulus details would be revealed, or how much the plan would cost, arguing they do not yet know when they would take power and have not seen the country's hidden fiscal details.

The pact does not detail all stands such a government would take on matters that divide the parties, but Mr. Dion outlined a few. His election-campaign carbon-tax proposal would not go ahead, but plans for a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions would. Planned corporate tax cuts would go forward — a major concession for the NDP — and Canadian troops would remain in Afghanistan until 2011.

Tories say they'd prefer to be defeated early next year rather than in December. One senior Conservative said that even if they were defeated when the House is called back after prorogation, the government would be a few months older and Ms. Jean might be more inclined to call an election at that point rather than turn government over to the coalition. Tories believe they could win an election by arguing that the coalition partners are solely interested in political gain.

With reports from Brian Laghi and Jane Taber