Upon Harper’s request, Governor General Michaëlle Jean agreed yesterday to suspend the current legislative session of Parliament until January 26, allowing Harper to escape a confidence vote Monday evening that he would have certainly lost.

This past Monday, the Liberals and NDP announced they had formed a coalition to take power from Harper’s Conservatives and that the alliance would be supported in confidence votes by the Bloc Québécois for at least 18 months.

Halton Conservative MP Lisa Raitt said she hopes the delay gives all the parties time to work together ahead of the scheduled January 27 budget. “For me, it’s always been about making sure everybody’s voice is heard and that we work together collectively regardless of our political stripes.”

Halton Federal Liberal Association president Steve Savage warned: “The economy is not waiting for Canadian politics to settle itself down.”

Savage doubted whether the cooling off period would stop the Liberals and NDP, assisted by the Bloc, from voting down the Conservatives when Parliament begins its new session.

“I think (the Liberals) could back down…if we saw a complete reversal of the typical Stephen Harper — one who acts like a minority leader and engages other parties,” Savage said.

It will probably take more than that. Both the Liberals and NDP have criticized the Conservatives as ignoring the downward spiral of the Canadian economy since an economic update announced by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty late last week.

In the economic update, Flaherty announced a $350 million equity injection into Export Development Canada and the same amount into the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Those funds are woefully short of helping Canadian business struggling in a liquidity crisis, according to the opposition, who said a true stimu- lus in the billions is needed to get the economy back on track. Following the uproar, the Conservatives announced the late- January budget, almost two months earlier than normal, would include an extra stimulus package.

Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr said he’s looking forward to a stimulus package, no matter who’s in power, especially if it’s focused on job creation through infrastructure funding.

The Region currently has a list of capital projects totaling $2.5 billion over the next 10 years that need funding, said Carr.

“We got the list all ready (for stimulus funding),” said Carr.