Below is an Evan Solomon interview with then-Opposition Leader Stephen Harper on the role of the opposition in Parliament from 2004.
It confirms negotiations were underway at the time with both the Bloc Québécois and the NDP to form a new Harper-led government if the Liberals could not sustain confidence.
I've removed the middle section that focuses more on the policy debates of the time. If you want to check for anything relevant in that section, the entire interview is here.
There are lots of positions here that are in opposition to the Prime Minister's current stance, from the "if the government wants to govern, it has to come to Parliament and it has to show that it can get the support of the majority of members" to "if you want to be a government in a minority Parliament, you have to work with other people."
But the real news is Harper's confirmation that -- while he would not allow other parties to have Ministers in his government -- he was open to working with the other two parties to form an alternative government in a move remarkably close to what he is today calling a "separatist coalition."
Throughout the interview, Harper notes the difference between a coalition government -- meaning a Ministry composed of Ministers from different parties -- and relying on other parties to sustain it on matters of confidence.
And more to the point, Mr. Harper is frank about his on-going discussions with Mr. Layton and Mr. Duceppe about forming a new administration to "make Parliament work" if the Liberals are unable to get the confidence of the House.
Harper admits: "I've consulted pretty regularly with Mr. Duceppe and Mr. Layton to get a sense of what they're looking for - it's up to the government to do the same thing."
"I can tell you that our party and I'm sure Mr. Duceppe and Mr. Layton from our conversations want Parliament to work - it's in the interests of the Opposition for this Parliament to go on for a while and be effective. It is only the government that wants to end this state of affairs and go to have another election," Harper adds.
Later in the interview, Harper states that he has no plan to form a new government if the Liberals fall, which Solomon finds unbelievable and challenges Harper:
"You're telling me you don't have a plan B in the event this government falls to a confidence vote - you haven't talked to other parties - Layton, Duceppe, anybody - about forming a government?"
Harper: "I'm telling you that I've always my responsibility is to be prepared to form a government so we're always working at that."
So Harper has admitted "we" are working on an alterative government formation.
Solomon: With who?
Harper: "Well I've said I would not form a coalition under any circumstances - I said that in the election campaign, nothing changes. I expect we're going to put forward our program for the country, how we would make the House of Commons work. I know that Mr. Duceppe and Mr. Layton don't want an election, I think the Liberals may have a different view. We'll just see. We'll do whatever's necessary..."
So it is an alternative government composed of solely Conservative members. But -- since the NDP alone would not have the votes to sustain such an administration -- it must involve Duceppe, and Harper notes that Duceppe and Layton don't want an election either.
Later in the interview, Harper says coalition with the Bloc Québécois is out, not because he is morally indignant at the possibility. It is because the Bloc has stated they will not form a coalition with anyone where BQ members sit in the Ministry. Harper seems entirely open to working with the BQ; only that both sides agree that BQ members would not be Ministers in a Harper-led government.
Harper: "I've said we wouldn't, we're not looking to form a coalition, the Bloc Québécois has been very consistent that they're not going to form a coalition with anybody, so we wouldn't look to form a coalition - but the present government isn't in a coalition either."
