The New Democratic Party is open to forming a coalition with the Liberals if it would help implement the party's policies, NDP Leader Jack Layton said Monday.
Layton, speaking to CTV's Canada AM, hinted he would work with the Liberals if the two parties combined won more seats in Parliament than the Tories on Oct. 14.
"I've worked with any other party, I think people have seen that," Layton said.
"Maybe it goes back to my days as municipal councillor -- you roll up your sleeves and you try to solve a problem. And I think the problem we have is Stephen Harper and his Conservatives."
However, when asked if he'd agree to a formal arrangement, Layton was more evasive.
"I think what I'll do is, hopefully, sit down in the Prime Minister's Office and pull together the leadership of my party and say, 'How can we best serve the country? How can we best get that child-care program that we committed to?"' he said.
"`How can we best get those doctors and nurses trained to deal with these wait times that are really concerning families?' And let's make it happen."
Layton attacked the Tories, saying the party was taking Canada down the "wrong path" with policies that mirror those of U.S. President George Bush.
The NDP leader also repeated his promise to immediately withdraw Canadian troops from Afghanistan if his party wins the election.
"We've seen soldiers' deaths up, civilian deaths up, (opium) poppy production up, corruption is up. More of the country is too dangerous now to even provide aid or development," he said.
"Let's use the instruments of the UN that we created to reduce conflict, let's have a co-ordinated and comprehensive approach."
Later Monday, during a campaign stop in Hamilton, Ont., Layton said the only real priority of the Harper government was a $50 billion corporate tax cut.
He promised not to implement Tory tax cuts if elected.
Layton will be in Montreal Monday afternoon for a rally.
