OTTAWA — In a bold and unprecedented move, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party.

“Look,” Harper said, “anyone who has been following federal politics must have seen this coming. It’s obvious that over the past few years, my thinking — and by implication the policies of my government — have become increasingly Liberal.” Harper says that former Conservative Garth Turner’s decision to join the Liberals really hit home. “It suddenly dawned on me, ‘Garth’s right.'”

Describing the transition as a “logical choice,” Harper says he plans to remain PM despite not being leader of the Liberals. “Stephan is just going have to wait for a while,” Harper said. Harper says he expects to be able to bring several fellow Conservatives with him. “Let’s face it, anyone who sticks with me and my autocratic style is in it for the power, not the principle,” he said, “these guys have all drunk the ‘Harper Koolaid’ and will come along.” Harper claims that he expects to be able to form a majority government within a week, thus avoiding the prospect of another election.

Perhaps surprisingly, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion didn’t seem to be very upset about Harper’s move. “Our strategy for the next few years was to keep introducing ideas in the house and then to wait for Harper to adopt them as his own” Dion said, “this will just speed up the process.”

Mastodon