NDP Leader Jack Layton has enlisted one of his predecessors to
sound out former prime minister Jean Chretien on the possibility of a
Liberal-New Democrat coalition government.A senior NDP official
told The Canadian Press that Ed Broadbent spoke to Chretien at least
four times after Finance Minister Jim Flaherty delivered an economic
update that threatened to bankrupt the opposition parties."The idea is to have elder statesmen smoothing things out," the official said.
"It's going to be a long day."
A Liberal MP confirmed that the talks were going on and the NDP said Broadbent was having a morning meeting with Layton.
Chretien
was seen on his way to his downtown Ottawa office, but when asked about
the coalition talks he feigned an inability to understand English."Je ne comprends pas anglais," he said.