Trudeau decides to remain in power

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33065, 4 November 1972, Page 15

Trudeau decides to remain in power

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copy right > OTTAWA, November 3. The Liberal Party of the Canadian Prime Minister (Mr Trudeau) prepared today for an uncertain future as a minority Government.

Mr Trudeau announced his decision to remain in power at a press conference last night, four days after the closest General Election in Canadian history had left the Liberals with the same number of seats, 109, as the main Opposition Progressive Conservative Party.

After a final official count yesterday in a Quebec constituency had given the Liberals another seat to tie with the Conservatives, the Socialist New Democratic Party still held the balance of power, with 30 of the 264 seats in the House of Commons.

Mr Trudeau, who said last night that his Government would face Parliament as soon as practicable, admitted that the General Election result “reflected the view of a good many Canadians that the Government of the last four years was not entirely satisfactory.” Mr Trudeau’s party won 155 seats in the last election, in June, 1968, compared with the Conservatives’ 73. “I will advise the Gover-nor-General to call Parliament into session as soon as is reasonably possible after

the return of the election writ,” Mr Trudeau said. “Whether it will work after it is convened depends on the other parties in the House.” Mr David Lewis, the leader of the New Democratic Party, told a press conference that the New Democrats would follow their traditional policy; they did not intend to be intimidated into supporting the Government over legislation with which they disagreed, but they had no intention of ob-

strutting Parliament. The Conservative leader, Mr Robert Stanfield, who ha-, called for Mr Trudeau’s resignation, said after Mr Trudeau’s press conference: "The Prime Minister has displayed an arrogant desire to retain power.” During the Prime Minister’s press conference, Mr Trudeau’s wife, Margaret, sat at the back of the room. Asked later how she felt, she replied: “Fine, fine. We're in for a real fight now.”