Canada's minority gov't to face a confidence vote next month

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Tuesday he will start a new Parliamentary session in October, which will mean a confidence vote that could bring down his minority government. Harper will begin the new session on Oct. 16 with a speech outlining priorities for his Conservative government. If the opposition parties in Parliament vote against the speech, an election will be triggered. The new session is seen as an attempt to reinvigorate Harper's minority government and also a challenge to the opposition parties to support the government's new plan - or bring it down and trigger an election. Harper's Conservatives unseated the opposition Liberals in 2006 after nearly 13 years in power, but as a minority government the party has a tenuous hold on power, with Harper relying on opposition lawmakers to pass legislation. His government's approval ratings have remained stagnant since the election.