Ottawa: Canada's Conservative government faces possible defeat as early as December 8, after refusing to back away from a showdown with the opposition over stimulus measures and spending cuts.
Opposition parties had threatened to vote on Monday to oust the ruling Conservatives unless Prime Minister Stephen Harper rushed through an economic stimulus package to help Canadians facing a possible recession.
And while in talks to form a new coalition government to succeed Harper's team, the opposition also demanded funding for political parties not be cut - as was proposed in a fiscal update on Thursday that kicked off the constitutional firestorm.
Harper responded by deferring the vote, avoiding a possible power grab or the nation's fourth elections in four years - only six weeks after being returned to office with a stronger minority in the last election.
"Less than two months ago the people of Canada gave our party a strengthened mandate to lead Canada during the most serious global economic crisis in generations," Harper said.
"While we have been working on the economy the opposition has been working on a back room deal to overturn the results of the last election without seeking the consent of voters."
"They want to take power, not earn it."
Earlier, the Liberals had given the Conservatives "until Monday to present us with a credible economic stimulus package that would put Canadians needs first."
Otherwise, a motion presented to the clerk's office indicates they planned to try to bring down the government with a no-confidence vote and replace it with a "viable alternative government."
